title: A comparison of a short nurse-based and a long multidisciplinary version of structured patient education in irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Structured multidisciplinary patient group education has positive effects on symptoms, health-related quality of life, and disease-related knowledge in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but few studies comparing different forms of educational interventions are available. Our aim was to compare the effects of long multidisciplinary group education with a short nurse-based group education with regard to symptoms, knowledge, quality of life, and satisfaction with the intervention in IBS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with IBS according to the Rome II criteria were randomized to either short nurse-based or a long multidisciplinary-based education. The effects were evaluated by self-administered questionnaires at 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline, and compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in effects were detected in the between-group comparisons at any of the follow-up assessments. However, positive effects on symptoms, knowledge, quality of life, and satisfaction with the intervention were found in both the short and the long version.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A short, nurse-based educational intervention seems to be as efficacious as a longer multidisciplinary version. In both groups, positive effects on patients' well-being were found to a similar extent. This is an important finding that, from a cost-effective perspective, could contribute toward an optimized management of patients with IBS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. gisela.ringstrom@vgregion.se
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ringström
authors.forename: Stine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Störsrud
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simrén
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D058025:Interdisciplinary Studies; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult