Development and Feasibility of a Nurse-led Person-centered Education Program

Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease causing reduced quality of life. Psoriasis patients are often insufficiently informed about their disease with its treatment possibilities leading to non-adherence of treatment resulting in unsatisfactory patient outcomes. We therefore propose to develop an educational intervention for psoriasis patients; evaluate the feasibility of implementing it in a nurse-led psoriasis-outpatient clinic and compare the psoriasis percentage reduction, quality of life, health literacy and patient benefit, between patients receiving this educational intervention and those receiving standard care.Method/Design We first will develop an evidence-based educational intervention in collaboration with an expert panel and second will conduct a randomized controlled feasibility study in a psoriasis outpatient clinic in Western Switzerland. Twenty eligible patients with psoriasis will be randomized to receive either a multidisciplinary education and usual care or only usual care, for 6 weeks. Data will be analyzed using R conducting linear models allowing us to assess the impact of the intervention on psoriasis reduction and other secondary outcomes of interest, once controlled for reliable socio-economic cofounding factors.Discussion This trial will investigate the feasibility of the elaborated nurse-led education and the planed randomized controlled trial. In this study, we will elaborate and provide an informational brochure with information concerning psoriasis in addition to a nurse-led oral educational program in addition to medical standard care. We expect that this nurse-led person-centered intervention will contribute to enhanced education with a higher functioning, better self-efficacy and improved quality of life, better disease knowledge with a better adherence to the medication protocol. The results will further inform the final design of a subsequent large-scale randomized controlled trial, which will examine the effectiveness of this educational intervention. Additionally, through this study the role of the nursing profession and its research will be strengthened in assuring that the voice of individuals, families and communities are incorporated into design and operations of clinical health systems by eliminating gaps and disparities in health care.

Inclusion Criteria:Diagnosed cutaneous psoriasis, regardless of the stage of the disease and treatment type (systemic and/or topic, and/or puva therapy)Age over 18 yearsProficiency in the French languageExclusion Criteria:Valid informed consent is not or cannot be givenPatients unable to follow the 6-session therapeutic education programPatients currently engaged in any other therapeutic education program