Efectividad de un programa de educación sanitaria con empoderamiento de pacientes con epilepsia

Abstract

Aims

To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention with empowerment for patients with epilepsy in a Spanish reference hospital for epilepsy.

Methods

A nonrandomized clinical trial was started in an epilepsy center. An empowerment group intervention program was conducted in which volunteers were recruited from outpatient clinics. It contained common topics in epilepsy health education, such as knowing your disease, types of seizures, treatment, how to act in the event of a seizure, seizure precipitating factors, lifestyle and medication management, as well as adapting to patients’ requests for information. The patients were empowered by applying their knowledge and skills, using the nurse as a facilitator. Questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention to assess anxiety and depression, quality of life, and satisfaction with care and attention to patients with epilepsy.

Results

33 patients completed the sessions and study. Satisfaction with the information improved significantly after the intervention (P < .005). The information items with significant improvements were satisfaction with information about epilepsy, treatment, provision of aid and treatment of the impact of epilepsy (P < .005). Satisfaction with communication decreased (P < .005), being the items with the most changes, the “time to answer the questions” and “consideration with their individual needs”. No significant changes were shown in depression and anxiety, quality of life and satisfaction with the organization.

Conclusions

Empowerment interventions demonstrated benefits to improve satisfaction with information in patients with epilepsy. The educational intervention designed allows sharing knowledge, solving problems and improving skills, empowering the patient in a new concept of education, which the nurse is a facilitator who collaborates with the demands of the patients. More studies are needed to increase the sample and demonstrate benefits in quality of life and anxiety and depression.