This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Inpatient program for fibromyalgia patients did not change distress
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Inpatient self-management programs had no effect on psychological distress, functional and symptomatic consequences and self-efficacy of patients with fibromyalgia, according to study results.
Researchers in Norway investigated 147 patients with fibromyalgia (FM) who were randomly assigned to 1 week of self-management programs (SMP; n=75; mean age, 45.4 years; 92% women) or a control group (n=72; mean age, 49.7 years; 100% women) in the controlled, assessor-masked trial.
The 1-week SMP focused on six interrelated concepts in patient education: the participant’s learning abilities, pedagogical framework, teaching goals, contents, learning/teaching methods and evaluation. The inpatient education unit used the same diagnostic team for up to 16 patients and five spouses, relatives or partners per week. Individual consultations were performed as needed. Follow-up was at 3 weeks. The General Health Questionnaire and the Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17) were primary outcomes. The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale for pain, function and symptoms were secondary outcomes.
Fifty-eight patients in the SMP cohort and 60 controls completed the study. EC-17 measured a significant difference in favor of the SMP cohort at follow-up, with a mean difference of 4.26 (95% CI, 0.8-7.7). Standard deviation was 17.55. The groups did not display any differences in the other outcome measurements.
“In our study, the participants had a high level of distress without achieving reduced levels of distress 3 weeks after intervention,” the researchers said. “The main results showed no statistically significant differences between the intervention group and the waiting list group … in psychological distress, functional and symptomatic consequences of FM and self-efficacy.
“There was, however, a small, short-term beneficial effect on skills and behaviors, which are important for effectively managing, participating in and leading one’s own health care (EC-17).”
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts