Impact of Literacy Level on Patient Education and Health Among People With Arthritis

NCT ID: NCT00023205

Last Updated: 2013-12-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE2
• Total Enrollment: 134 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2002-11-30
• Study Completion Date: 2006-12-31

Brief Summary

People with poor literacy may have worse health and less knowledge about how to manage their disease than patients at high reading levels. Patients with arthritis usually receive information on how to manage their disease that is written at an 11th grade reading level. The purpose of this study is to compare the health outcomes of patients with arthritis given either standard 11th grade level materials or interactive, in-person arthritis education along with materials written at a lower reading level.

Detailed Description

Patients with poor literacy report worse health and know less about managing their disease than patients with better literacy. This study will compare the disease outcomes of arthritis patients at three different reading levels who receive either standard arthritis materials written at an 11th grade reading level or an in-person, interactive, text-free session along with lower reading level materials. The study will determine the most effective methods of educating patients with poor literacy about their disease.

Patients with systemic inflammatory rheumatic conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and seronegative polyarthritis) will be assessed and placed into one of three reading levels: 8th grade or lower; 9th to 11th grade; or 12th grade or higher. Patients from each reading level will be randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. Group 1 will receive disease-specific material from the Arthritis Foundation written at an 11th grade reading level. Group 2 will receive plain language materials, an arthritis glossary, and a one-hour, in-person session with a study educator using interactive, text-free methods. The study educator will help the patient with reading-related problems either by study visit or by telephone for 6 months postsession.

All patients will receive a medication calendar. Patients will be followed for one year after the intervention and will be assessed for changes in health status, disease activity, communication with the physician, self-management of their arthritis, understanding of and adherence to prescribed treatment, and satisfaction with their intervention.

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis; Psoriatic Arthritis; Polyarthritis

Keywords

Arthritis; Health literacy; Patient education; Self-efficacy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Individualized education

Individualized education with materials written in plain language. Follow-up sessions/ phone contact as requested by the subject.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Interactive in-person arthritis education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Standard care

1 session of education with provision of standard Arthritis Foundation materials.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

11th grade reading level arthritis materials

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Interventions

11th grade reading level arthritis materials

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Interactive in-person arthritis education

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Native English speaker
• Patient at the Rheumatology Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
• Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or seronegative polyarthritis

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Brigham and Women's Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Matthew H. Liang, MD

Professor of Medicine

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Matthew H. Liang, MD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Locations

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Countries

United States

References

Weiss BD, Hart G, McGee DL, D'Estelle S. Health status of illiterate adults: relation between literacy and health status among persons with low literacy skills. J Am Board Fam Pract. 1992 May-Jun;5(3):257-64.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 1580173 (View on PubMed)

Kitsch I, A. Jungeblut, L. Jenkins, and A. Kolstad. Adult Literacy in America: A First Look at the Results of the National Adult Literacy Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, US Department of Education; 1993.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

Other Identifiers

P60AR047782

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

P60 AR47782 NIAMS-068

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id