title: Do patient self-help organizations help?
abstract: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patient organizations presently exist in 24 countries. This chapter describes how these patient organizations help AS patients to cope with their disease and describes how patients and health professionals assess these contributions.
authors.affiliation: Ankylosing Spondylitis International Federation, Michaeliburgstr. 15, D-81671, München, Germany.
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feldtkeller
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*