Abstract
Background
With an overarching aim to inform person-centred patient-education, this study had two objectives: (i) to identify factors that may be associated with educational needs in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) (ii) to assess whether educational needs and priorities differ between subtypes of inflammatory arthritis i.e. rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
Methods
Secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data originally used to validate the Educational Needs Assessment Tool (ENAT) was conducted. The outcome variable was educational needs, summarised as ENAT domain scores. The explanatory variables were: Age, gender, IA subtype, school leaving age and disease duration. ENAT scores were Rasch-transformed prior to analysis. Univariable analyses were conducted to explore differences between groups and multivariable analyses (multiple regression) to determine factors associated with educational needs. All explanatory factors were entered into a preliminary multivariable model. Factors that achieved statistical significance at the 10% level were entered into the final multivariable model. Those that achieved a statistical significance at the 5% level were associated with educational needs. To determine educational priorities, percentage contribution of each domain score to the total score was calculated and compared between factors with one-way analysis of variance.
Results
The evaluable population comprised 388 patients, 125 with RA, 133 with AS and 130 with PsA. Their mean (SD) age was 48 (13.95) years and male/female ratio 177/210. Those with early arthritis (disease duration <2 years) were 36 (9.2%), RA = 15, AS = 3 and PsA=18, and 116 (29.7%) left school before the age of 16. Table 1 presents the final multi-variable models. The proportion of variance explained by the model varied across ENAT domains, the highest being movement (25%). Female gender was found to be an independent predictor of educational needs across all ENAT domains. Significant differences in educational priorities were observed between disease groups in all domains except disease process and support.
Conclusion
Female gender is independently associated with educational needs across all three sub-types of IA. Results of this secondary analysis are inconclusive due to limitations in the available data. Further research should include factors such as disease severity, treatments, disability and self-efficacy.
Disclosures
A.R. Johnston Other; Work conducted as part of Nurse and Allied Health Professional Internship Programme funded by versus Arthritis (Grant number 20867). M. Ndosi None.
P100 Factors associated with educational needs in patients with inflammatory arthritis
