[Cooperation between primary care physicians and rheumatologists in Lower Saxony. Results of a survey of primary care physicians].

Aim: Between 2000 and 2003 the collaborative arthritis center Hanover implemented a quality management program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fourteen rheumatologists in private practice participated in this model project. One of the aims of the project was to improve the cooperation between primary care physicians and rheumatologists.

[Early diagnosis of arthritis and spondyloarthritis within the framework of integrated health care in Lower Saxony].

In September 2005, the Collaborative Arthritis Center in Hannover, the Hannover Medical School, general practitioners, rheumatologists in private practice, the League against Rheumatism in Lower Saxony (Rheuma-Liga Niedersachsen, a regional patient self-help organization), the State Pension Authority (Deutsche Rentenversicherung Braunschweig-Hannover) and a health insurance fund (Kaufmännische Krankenkasse), in collaboration with the Physician's Association of Lower Saxony, entered a contract for integrated health care in rheumatology in Lower Saxony. The agreement aims at patients with early arthritis or spondyloarthritis. Through close collaboration between primary health care physicians and rheumatologists, the diagnosis of arthritis or spondyloarthritis should be made soon after disease manifestation and an adequate therapy initiated.

[Patient education in practice-a workshop in a small group].

The aim of the workshop was to work out concrete plans and steps for implementing patient education courses in an outpatient setting by the collaborative arthritis centers in Germany. Primarily the patient education model of Lower Saxony was illustrated as an example of successful implementation of patient education programs in practice. In this state patient education courses are run in cooperation between the Arthritis Center of Hannover and the League against Rheumatism in Lower Saxony.

[Patient education in rheumatology-The current situation].

The article summarizes the state of the art in patient education in rheumatology and describes the goals that have been reached and the problems that have to be solved in the future. Within recent years 6 patient education programs have been developed, 4 additional programs are in progress. Evaluation studies have been conducted for 3 programs showing evidence for the efficacy of patient education in different fields.

[Quality management of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in a rheumatological setting].

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease affecting about 1% of the general population world-wide. It is characterised by severe pain and a reduction of functional capacity leading to a reduced quality of life. The initiation of an early, effective, continuous and long-term treatment is essential for preventing or delaying progression of disease as long as possible.

[Quality assurance of rheumatologic patient education].

Since 1989 patient education programmes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and other spondylarthropathies, systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, fibromyalgia, and juvenile chronic arthritis and their parents have been developed by an interdisciplinary team of the German Society of Rheumatology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie). Up to date, about 500 people were trained to be group leaders or specialised trainers with an associated train-the-trainer program. In 1999, the Society discharged preliminary guidelines for patient education in rheumatology.

[Round-table-talk on patient education in rheumatology].

Primarily the discussion group focused on obtaining current information about the existing patient education programs for different rheumatic diseases developed by a working group of the German Society of Rheumatology, about the institutions running the patient education courses, the train-the-trainer seminars, the costs and the problems of fund raising from the health insurance companies. As a successful example for running patient education courses in an outpatient setting, the cooperation between the Arthritis Center of Hannover and the League against Rheumatism in Lower Saxony was illustrated. Then the group defined three important future tasks: to reach a standard of funding patient education by every health insurance company in Germany, to increase the efforts to inform the public about patient education and to establish a nation-wide network of patient education centers.

How do adolescents with juvenile chronic arthritis consider their disease related knowledge, their unmet service needs, and the attractiveness of various services?

Aims: To explore the information needs of adolescents with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) with respect to patient education and other measures to promote self-management.

Methods: Standardized cross-sectional inquiry concerning disease-related knowledge, perceived importance of information giving, unmet needs as well as perceived attractiveness of a range of services (lecture, structured patient education, support group, self-help group) to promote self-management.

Sample: N = 48 adolescents (68% of all adolescents with JCA of our outpatient clinic); mean age x = 14.

The outcome of traditional or comprehensive outpatient care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Results of an open, non-randomized, 2-year prospective study.

This work presents results of a quasiexperimental prospective cohort study of the medium-term course of chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) under two different conditions of care. During 1984-1986 a total of 262 patients was recruited. All were new referrals to a university outpatient department.

[The "Hannover Chronic Polyarthritis School": development of a curriculum and implementation of a controlled study for educating patients with chronic polyarthritis].

Patient education is an important and necessary tool to facilitate coping with a chronic disease. The existing studies about new approaches to patient education and their effects are reviewed and discussed. The interdisciplinary team of the MRH tried to improve the deficient situation concerning patient education in rheumatology in Germany.

[Developing occupational integration of patients with chronic polyarthritis during productive years].

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disorder that depends on the activity of the disease, the severeness of the functional losses, and the degree of suffering from pain. In a study of 817 RA patients it could be shown that the occupational status depends as much on the severing of the disease as on the job status, educational status, and income.

[Patient education in rheumatology].

Most of the patients with rheumatic diseases do not know enough about their disease and its treatment. This may influence patient's satisfaction and compliance. Patient education is a useful approach to reduce the negative consequences of the lack of knowledge and non-compliance.

[Arthritic pain and psychological distress in patients with chronic polyarthritis].

Pain intensity and sensory dimensions of pain experience were studied in four samples totalling 346 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 35%-61% of these patients suffer from severe pain. Arthritic pain is not automatically associated with emotional disorder.

Activity and severity of rheumatoid arthritis in Hannover/FRG and in one regional referral center.

Between November 1984 and July 1988 a total of 8044 randomly selected German residents of the city of Hannover/FRG, aged 25 to 74, have been screened for rheumatic complaints by means of a postal questionnaire. An average 87% of the probands contacted returned completed questionnaires. Respondents with a "positive" questionnaire, i.