title: Translating patient education theory into practice: developing material to address the cardiovascular education needs of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the rationale and design of a theory-informed patient education programme addressing cardiovascular disease for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to illustrate how theory can explicitly be translated into practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A steering group of rheumatologists and psychologists was convened to design the programme. The Common Sense Model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Stages of Change Model were used to underpin the topics and activities in the programme. User involvement was sought. The programme was formatted into a manual and the reading age of the materials was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A small group 8-week programme was designed. The structure of the patient education programme, including topics, underlying psychological theory as well as behaviour change techniques, is described.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This patient education programme addresses a currently unmet educational need for patients with RA and uses theory to design, not just evaluate, the programme. This will allow both enhanced interpretation of the results when the programme is implemented and replication by other units if successful.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The actual design and detail of education programmes merit wider dissemination to facilitate progress in the process of development and application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. Holly.John@dgoh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Elizabeth D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Gareth J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Treharne
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kitas
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D014175:Translating