title: A multicenter, prospective, quasi-experimental evaluation study of a patient education program to foster multiple sclerosis self-management competencies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of the self-management training program "S.MS" for new multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter, prospective, quasi-experimental study with 31 MS patients in the intervention group (training program) and 33 participants in the control group (CG) (brochures). Data were collected before, after and 6 months after the interventions. Analysis of change was done by ANCOVA with repeated measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, participants in CG were younger at the time of diagnosis, suffered more frequently from relapsing-remitting MS and took more MS-medication on a permanent basis. The intervention had a stable significant effect on each dimension of self-management ability, on total self-management ability (ES=0.194, p<0.001), on anxiety (ES=0.193, p=0.001), and on disease-specific quality of life (ES=0.120, p=0.007). Regarding depression, a significant interaction effect of time and intervention could be observed (ES=0.106, p=0.011). No effect was found on disease-specific knowledge. High participant acceptance was reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  "S.MS" participation was associated with a significant and sustained improvement of self-management abilities, anxiety and disease-specific quality of life in a quasi-experimental study design. Using RCT or CRT-designs would be desirable to further improve the evidence of treatment effectiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides substantial evidence that "S.MS" fosters patients' self-management ability.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and its Didactics, University of Education Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: Janine.Feicke@ph-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feicke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and its Didactics, University of Education Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spörhase
authors.affiliation: Treatment Center Kempfenhausen for multiple sclerosis sufferers, Berg-Kempfenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.affiliation: Treatment Center Kempfenhausen for multiple sclerosis sufferers, Berg-Kempfenhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Education Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wirtz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Multiple sclerosis; Patient education; Quasi-experimental trial; Self-management