EVALUATING/REINFORCING ARTHRITIS PATIENT EDUCATION FOR URBAN AFRICAN AMERICANS

临床研究表明，关节炎患者教育干预 是一种有效的辅助药物治疗， 科普疼痛的能力，降低感知的症状严重程度，改善 患者的自我效能，并为他们提供技能和策略 来应对日常活动的限制。然而， 了解这些计划的影响的普遍性， 文化少数群体，如城市非洲裔美国人。更不是 知道病人教育的任何好处的长寿，也不知道 有效的加固和维护技术。为了努力 为了研究这些问题，拟议的研究将通过以下方式招募受试者： 一个以信仰为基础的社区网络，以实现以下目标： 1)评估关节炎患者教育对关节炎的影响 症状和疼痛水平，功能状态，自我护理知识和 行为、自我效能、情绪状态与健康照护资源 通过一项随机对照试验。（研究1） 2)测试重点强化概念的影响 关节炎自助课程（ASHC），为期12个月， 随机对照试验。（研究二） 3)检查ASHC的详细教育动态，确定 对非洲人不太有效或不太相关的课程， 美国人，并确定沟通和演示使用的模式， 这门课程需要为非裔美国人的听众进行改编。 （研究3） 4)评估非洲人的个人和文化信仰体系 美国人对关节炎的理解和他们使用传统和 非常规关节炎治疗（研究4）。 这些研究将提供有关文化方面的宝贵信息， 接触患有关节炎的城市非洲裔美国人的相关方法， 提供患者教育，解决关节炎护理需求， 非裔美国人社区这项研究还将阐明 教育利益和替代方法的有效性 加强对这一人群的教育。的探索性研究 关节炎及其治疗的个人信念和知识，以及 正式评估病人教育计划，将提供更好的 了解文化群体的差异以及这些差异如何影响 差异应影响文化的设计和交付， 适当的病人教育。

Clinical studies have shown that arthritis patient education interventions are an effective adjunct to medical treatment in improving patients' ability to cope with pain, reducing perceived symptom severity, improving patients' self-efficacy, and providing them with skills and strategies for dealing with limitations on daily activities. Little, however, is known about the generalizability of the effects of such programs to cultural minority groups, such as urban African Americans. Even less is known about the longevity of any benefits of patient education nor about effective reinforcement and maintenance techniques. In an effort to examine these issues, the proposed research will recruit subjects through a faith-based community network to pursue the following aims: 1) Evaluate the impact of arthritis patient education on arthritis symptoms and pain levels, functional status, self-care knowledge and behaviors, self-efficacy, emotional status, and health care resource utilization through a randomized controlled trial.(Study 1) 2) Test the impact of focused reinforcement of the concepts in the Arthritis Self Help Course (ASHC) over a 12 month period through a randomized controlled trial. (Study 2) 3) Examine the detailed educational dynamics of the ASHC, identify aspects of the course that are less effective with or relevant to African Americans, and identify modes of communication and presentations used in the course that require adaptation for an African American Audience. (Study 3) 4) Assess the personal and cultural belief system underlying African Americans' understanding of arthritis and their use of conventional and non-conventional arthritis treatments (Study 4). These studies will provide valuable information regarding culturally relevant methods of reaching urban African Americans with arthritis and providing patient education that addresses arthritis care needs of the African American community. This study will also clarify the longevity of educational benefits and the effectiveness of alternative methods of educational reinforcement in this population. The exploratory studies of individual beliefs and knowledge of arthritis and its treatment, and the formal evaluation of a patient education program, will provide a better understanding of the ways in which cultural groups differ and how these differences should influence the design and delivery of culturally appropriate patient education.