Comparison of group versus individual patient education for promoting safety skills of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases treated with biologics: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention combining face-to-face and group education sessions for the acquisition of safety skills by patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases treated with biologics.

Methods: This multicentre randomised controlled trial compared two individual patient education sessions against a combination of an individual session at baseline and a group session 3 months later. The primary outcome was a validated questionnaire (BioSecure) scored at 6 and 12 months that assessed competencies and problem-solving abilities to deal with fever, infection, vaccination, and daily situations.

Understanding Patients' Perspectives and Educational Needs by Type of Osteoporosis in Men and Women and People with Glucocorticosteroid-Induced Osteoporosis: A Qualitative Study to Improve Disease Management.

The aim of the study was to investigate similarities and differences in health beliefs, experiences and educational needs by type of osteoporosis (OP), particularly in people with glucocorticoid-induced OP (GIOP) and men. A qualitative study was conducted via focus groups involving post-menopausal women with or without osteoporotic fractures, osteoporotic men and people with GIOP. Fifty-three participants were included in eight groups.

Correlative anatomic and CT study of the lumbar lateral recess.

The lumbosacral nerve roots and their relation to the lateral recess in the lumbar region were studied by computed tomography both in anatomic specimens from six cadavers and in vivo in 100 patients with or without disk herniation. The anatomic and tomodensitometric correlations are discussed. The normal morphology and contents of the lumbar spinal canal can be used as a guide to radiologic diagnostic exploration, which in turn can indicate the etiology and extent of lumbar sciatica and the course of treatment.

Normal CT anatomy of the spine. Anatomo-radiological correlations.

To analyse the anatomo-radiological correlation of the spine and spinal cord, 22 formalized, frozen anatomical specimens corresponding to different regions of the spinal column (8 cervical, 5 dorsal, and 9 lumbar) were studied by CT scans on axial, sagittal and coronal planes and by contact radiography after they were cut into anatomical slices in order to clarify the normal CT anatomy of the spinal column. The results obtained from CT patient scans, performed exclusively on the axial plane, were compared with those obtained from the anatomical specimens (both CT and contrast radiography). High resolution CT programs were used, enabling us to obtain better individualization of the normal structures contained in the spinal column.