Session Information
Date: Monday, November 9, 2015
Session Title: ARHP II: Lupus
Session Type: ARHP Concurrent Abstract Session
Session Time: 2:30PM-4:00PM
Background/Purpose:
An evaluation was conducted of a monthly hospital-based psychoeducational support group, ongoing since 1985, for people with lupus. Each 2-hour session begins with a provider-led presentation on a lupus-related topic, followed by an evaluative survey and discussion.
Methods:
A 34-item survey with Likert scale and open-ended questions was mailed to 137 members. Items included user demographics, topic choices, satisfaction, impact and areas for improvement. Separate analyses on satisfaction and impact were conducted for core members (defined as attending ≥ 50% of prior year’s sessions) and were also stratified by race/ethnicity. Chi-square and Fischer’s exact tests were used to examine any differences.
Results:
53 surveys (39%) were returned. Most members (72%) were age 50+; 96% were female. 47% were white, 19% Asian, 14% Latino, 14% African American and 6% bi-racial. 80% had a Master’s (51%) or Bachelor’s (29%) degree. 50% had Medicare as their primary insurance with commercial insurance (36%) or Medicaid (14%); 28% had private insurance; 10% had Medicare only; average years since diagnosis was 16.
84% of all respondents were satisfied (64% strongly, 20% somewhat) overall; members of color reported ↑ overall satisfaction (88%) than whites (78%) with no significant difference. Members reported 95% satisfaction with the coordinator (69% strongly, 26% somewhat), 91% with speakers (62% strongly, 29% somewhat), 87% with topics (51% strongly, 36% somewhat) and 78% with discussions (52% strongly, 26% somewhat).
Whites reported ↑ satisfaction than members of color with speakers (100% vs. 84%) and the coordinator (100% vs. 91%), with no significant differences.
We assessed impact in 4 areas: knowledge, coping, self-management and social support. 86% agreed (61% strongly, 25% somewhat) their knowledge of lupus increased. 83% agreed (38% strongly, 45% somewhat) the groups helped them to cope. 82% agreed (34% strongly, 48% somewhat) they had ↑ ability to manage their lupus. 74% agreed (54% strongly, 20% somewhat) they had ↑ social support.
Members of color reported ↑ impact than whites for knowledge (88% vs. 71%), and whites reported ↑ ability to cope (88% vs. 80%); differences were not significant.
Core members responded to all measures of satisfaction and impact more highly than non-core members (i.e. 100% were satisfied overall).
Out of 25 topics, the 3 highest-rated were Medications, Arthritis/Joint Problems, and Environmental Triggers.
Responses to open-ended questions underscored the value of social support as well as self-management skills: “talking to others increased optimism,” “a health-saving resource,” and “more confident in talking with doctor.” Primary barriers to attendance were schedule conflicts, health and distance. Suggested improvements were ↑ time for speaker and discussion.
Conclusion:
Although limited by a small sample size, our results demonstrate the overall success of our program, the value it brings to our clients, and next steps for improving the program’s effectiveness. The differences in satisfaction and impact stratified by racial/ethnic groups and attendance rate were not found to be significant; we will continue to monitor and evaluate these identified trends.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Flores MT, Horton R, Rose JA, Paget SA, Lockshin M. The SLE Workshop: An Evaluation of a Long-Standing Hospital-Based Psychoeducational Program [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-sle-workshop-an-evaluation-of-a-long-standing-hospital-based-psychoeducational-program/. Accessed November 14, 2019.« Back to 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/the-sle-workshop-an-evaluation-of-a-long-standing-hospital-based-psychoeducational-program/