FRI0452 Evaluation of the efficacy of education program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background Education programs are an effective complement to traditional medical treatment, giving people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the strategies necessary to make daily decisions to cope with the disease [1,2]. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of therapeutic education for patients with RA. Methods 43 patients with RA were included. 23 RA patients participated in a education program, 20 received only drug therapy (control group). The education program consisted of 4 daily studies for 90 min. Effects of the program were evaluated after 6 months, comparatively to baseline, based on the following variables: Diseases Activity Score (DAS28), functional impairment (Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)) and quality of life (Rheumatology Assessment Patient Index Data (RAPID3) by Multi-Dimensional HAQ (R798–NP2)). Results 6 months after therapeutic education DAS28 decreased by 1,33±0,26 (4,46±1,52 vs. 3,13±0,89, p