Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of structured patient education in occupational skin diseases: a systematic assessment of the disease-specific knowledge

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of patient education in occupational skin diseases (OSD) regarding changes of the disease-specific knowledge.

Methods

One hundred and five patients participated in structured patient education as part of an interdisciplinary outpatient prevention measure. In a prospective one-group pre–post-design, the disease-specific knowledge was assessed with the validated “Occupational Skin Diseases Knowledge Questionnaire” (OSD-KQ) before (T0) and after the intervention (T1). A subcohort (n = 68) was examined 2–3 months later (T2).

Results

The mean OSD-KQ score significantly improved from 38.5 (59.2 % of correct answers, T0) to 55.6 (85.5 % of correct answers, T1). A pronounced heterogeneity was observed among the participants regarding the pre-interventional knowledge (10.8–84.6 % of correct answers, T0) and the individual knowledge gain. Patients who worked in health-related occupations scored significantly higher. Age and sex did not influence the knowledge. In a subcohort, a significantly improved disease-specific knowledge of 52.3 (80.5 % of correct answers) could still be found 2–3 months after the intervention (T2).

Conclusions

Structured patient education significantly improves the disease-specific knowledge in patients with OSD. The study indicates not only positive short- but also sustainable long-term effects on the knowledge gain. The OSD-KQ can serve as a tool to evaluate and improve patient education. Health educators need to be aware of the heterogeneity regarding the participants’ knowledge and take this into account during educational practice. Additional counseling may be necessary to meet the individual learners’ needs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agner T, Held E (2002) Skin protection programmes. Contact Dermat 46:253–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen RM, Jones MP (1998) The validity and reliability of an asthma knowledge questionnaire used in the evaluation of a group asthma education self-management program for adults with asthma. J Asthma 35:537–545

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Apfelbacher C, Soder S, Diepgen TL, Weisshaar E (2009) The impact of measures for secondary individual prevention of work-related skin diseases in health care workers: 1-year follow-up study. Contact Dermat 60:144–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borges MC, Ferraz E, Pontes SM, Cetlin Ade C, Caldeira RD, Silva CS, Araujo AC, Vianna EO (2010) Development and validation of an asthma knowledge questionnaire for use in Brazil. J Bras Pneumol 36:8–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borradaile G (2003) Statistics of earth science data: their distribution in time, space and orientation. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bortz J, Schuster C (2010) Statistik für Human- und Sozialwissenschaftler. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brown SA (1990) Studies of educational interventions and outcomes in diabetic adults: a meta-analysis revisited. Patient Educ Couns 16:189–215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cahill J, Keegel T, Nixon R (2004) The prognosis of occupational contact dermatitis in 2004. Contact Dermat 51:219–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins GS, Mughal S, Barnett AH, Fitzgerald J, Lloyd CE (2011) Modification and validation of the Revised Diabetes Knowledge Scale. Diabet Med 28:306–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper H, Booth K, Fear S, Gill G (2001) Chronic disease patient education: lessons from meta-analyses. Patient Educ Couns 44:107–117

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cvetkovski RS, Jensen H, Olsen J, Johansen JD, Agner T (2005) Relation between patients’ and physicians’ severity assessment of occupational hand eczema. Br J Dermatol 153:596–600

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DGUV (2013) DGUV Statistics 2012. Figures and long-term trends. Bonifatius GmbH, Paderborn. http://www.dguv.de/medien/inhalt/zahlen/documents/schueler/dguvstatistiken2012e.pdf

  • Dickel H, Kuss O, Blesius CR, Schmidt A, Diepgen TL (2001) Occupational skin diseases in Northern Bavaria between 1990 and 1999: a population-based study. Br J Dermatol 145:453–462

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Diepgen TL (2003) Occupational skin-disease data in Europe. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 76:331–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faller H, Reusch A (2004) Das experimentelle Design bei der Evaluation von Patientenschulungen. Praxis Klin Verh Rehab 65:13–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Faul F, Erdfelder E, Buchner A, Lang AG (2009) Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behav Res Methods 41:1149–1160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald JT, Funnell MM, Hess GE, Barr PA, Anderson RM, Hiss RG, Davis WK (1998) The reliability and validity of a brief diabetes knowledge test. Diabetes Care 21:706–710

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giordano A, Uccelli MM, Pucci E, Martinelli V, Borreani C, Lugaresi A, Trojano M, Granella F, Confalonieri P, Radice D, Solari A (2010) The Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge Questionnaire: a self-administered instrument for recently diagnosed patients. Mult Scler 16:100–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gray M (2009) Evidence-based healthcare and public health. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, Edinburgh

    Google Scholar 

  • Green J, Tones K (2010) Health promotion: planning and strategies. SAGE Publications, Cornwell

    Google Scholar 

  • Guyatt G, Walter S, Norman G (1987) Measuring change over time: assessing the usefulness of evaluative instruments. J Chronic Dis 40:171–178

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guyatt GH, Kirshner B, Jaeschke R (1992) Measuring health status: what are the necessary measurement properties? J Clin Epidemiol 45:1341–1345

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han HR, Chan K, Song H, Nguyen T, Lee JE, Kim MT (2011) Development and evaluation of a hypertension knowledge test for korean hypertensive patients. J Clin Hypertens 13:750–757

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hennell SL, Brownsell C, Dawson JK (2004) Development, validation and use of a patient knowledge questionnaire (PKQ) for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 43:467–471

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hutchinson L (1999) Evaluating and researching the effectiveness of educational interventions. Br Med J 318:1267–1269

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ibler KS, Jemec GB, Agner T (2012) Exposures related to hand eczema: a study of healthcare workers. Contact Dermat 66:247–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings F, Toffolo S, de Assis MR, Natour J (2006) Brazil Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ) and evaluation of disease-specific knowledge in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol 24:521–528

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • John H, Treharne GJ, Hale ED, Panoulas VF, Carroll D, Kitas GD (2009) Development and initial validation of a heart disease knowledge questionnaire for people with rheumatoid arthritis. Patient Educ Couns 77:136–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lainscak M, Keber I (2005) Validation of self assessment patient knowledge questionnaire for heart failure patients. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs 4:269–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lau MY, Burgess JA, Nixon R, Dharmage SC, Matheson MC (2011) A review of the impact of occupational contact dermatitis on quality of life. J Allergy 964509. doi:10.1155/2011/964509

  • Leake B, Nyamathi A, Gelberg L (1997) Reliability, validity, and composition of a subset of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acquired immunodeficiency syndrome knowledge questionnaire in a sample of homeless and impoverished adults. Med Care 35:747–755

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lushniak BD (2000) Occupational skin diseases. Prim Care 27:895–916

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maciel SC, Jennings F, Jones A, Natour J (2009) The development and validation of a Low Back Pain Knowledge Questionnaire—LKQ. Clinics 64:1167–1175

    Google Scholar 

  • Maples P, Franks A, Ray S, Stevens AB, Wallace LS (2010) Development and validation of a low-literacy Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease knowledge Questionnaire (COPD-Q). Patient Educ Couns 81:19–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matterne U, Diepgen TL, Weisshaar E (2010) Effects of a health-educational and psychological intervention on socio-cognitive determinants of skin protection behaviour in individuals with occupational dermatoses. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 83:183–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matterne U, Diepgen TL, Weisshaar E (2011) A longitudinal application of three health behaviour models in the context of skin protection behaviour in individuals with occupational skin disease. Psychol Health 26:1188–1207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meding B, Lantto R, Lindahl G, Wrangsjö K, Bengtsson B (2005) Occupational skin disease in Sweden—a 12-year-follow-up. Contact Dermat 53:308–313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mertin M (2010) Evaluation von Patientenschulungen. Entwicklung und Validierung eines Instruments zur Erfassung des krankheitsbezogenen Wissens bei Patienten mit berufsbedingten Hauterkrankungen. Dissertation, University of Osnabrück

  • Mertin M, Wulfhorst B, John SM (2010) Der Berufsdermatosen-Wissenstest. Dermatol Beruf Umwelt 58:105–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson PJ, Llewellyn D, English JS (2010) Evidence-based guidelines for the prevention, identification and management of occupational contact dermatitis and urticaria. Contact Dermat 63:177–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schuler M, Musekamp G, Faller H, Ehlebracht-König I, Gutenbrunner C, Kirchhof R, Bengel J, Nolte S, Osborne RH, Schwarze M (2013) Assessment of proximal outcomes of self-management programs: translation and psychometric evaluation of a German version of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ™). Qual Life Res 22:1391–1403

  • Schürer NY, Klippel U, Schwanitz HJ (2005) Secondary individual prevention of hand dermatitis in geriatric nurses. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 78:149–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwanitz HJ, Riehl U, Schlesinger T, Bock M, Skudlik C, Wulfhorst B (2003) Skin care management: educational aspects. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 76:374–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzer R (2008) Modeling health behavior change: how to predict and modify the adoption and maintenance of health behaviors. Appl Psychol 57:1–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarzer R, Lippke S, Luszczynska A (2011) Mechanisms of health behavior change in persons with chronic illness or disability: the health action process approach (HAPA). Rehabil Psychol 56:161–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skudlik C, Weisshaar E, Scheidt R, Elsner P, Wulfhorst B, Schönfeld M, John SM, Diepgen TL (2012) First results from the multicentre study rehabilitation of occupational skin diseases—optimization and quality assurance of inpatient management (ROQ). Contact Dermat 66:140–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slotosch CM, Kampf G, Löffler H (2007) Effects of disinfectants and detergents on skin irritation. Contact Dermat 57:235–241

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soder S, Diepgen TL, Radulescu M, Apfelbacher C, Bruckner T, Weisshaar E (2007) Occupational skin diseases in cleaning and kitchen employees: course and quality of life after measures of secondary individual prevention. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges 5:670–676

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suda AL, Jennings F, Bueno VC, Natour J (2012) Development and validation of Fibromyalgia Knowledge Questionnaire: FKQ. Rheumatol Int 32:655–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Gils RF, Boot CR, van Gils PF, Bruynzeel D, Coenraads PJ, van Mechelen W, Riphagen II, Anema JR (2011) Effectiveness of prevention programmes for hand dermatitis: a systematic review of the literature. Contact Dermat 64:63–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warsi A, Wang PS, LaValley MP, Avorn J, Solomon DH (2004) Self-management education programs in chronic disease: a systematic review and methodological critique of the literature. Arch Intern Med 164:1641–1649

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White R, Walker P, Roberts S, Kalisky S, White P (2006) Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ): testing what we teach patients about COPD. Chron Respir Dis 3:123–131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilke A, John SM, Wulfhorst B (2011) Verbesserung des krankheitsspezifischen Wissens durch ambulante Hautschutzseminare. Dermatol Beruf Umwelt 59:120

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilke A, Gediga G, Schlesinger T, John SM, Wulfhorst B (2012a) Sustainability of interdisciplinary secondary prevention in patients with occupational hand eczema: a 5-year follow-up survey. Contact Dermat 67:208–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilke A, Gediga G, Weinhöppel U, John SM, Wulfhorst B (2012b) Long-term effectiveness of secondary prevention in geriatric nurses with occupational hand eczema: the challenge of a controlled study design. Contact Dermat 66:79–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wulfhorst B, Bock M, Skudlik C, John SM (2006) Worker education and teaching programs: the german experience. In: Frosch PJ, Menné T, Lepoittevin JP (eds) Contact dermatitis, 4th edn. Springer, Berlin, pp 855–861

    Google Scholar 

  • Wulfhorst B, Bock M, Gediga G, Skudlik C, Allmers H, John SM (2010) Sustainability of an interdisciplinary secondary prevention program for hairdressers. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 83:165–171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wulfhorst B, Bock M, Skudlik C, Wigger-Alberti W, John SM (2011) Prevention of hand eczema: gloves, barrier creams and workers’ education. In: Johansen JD, Frosch PJ, Lepoittevin JP (eds) Contact dermatitis, 5th edn. Springer, Berlin, pp 985–1016

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that all authors are working at the iDerm (Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation at the University of Osnabrück) and/or at the Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory (University of Osnabrück). Thus, all authors are working in the secondary and tertiary prevention of OSD. One of these measures is the one evaluated by the present study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Sedanstraße 115, 49090, Osnabrück, Germany

    Annika Wilke, Kathrin Gediga & Swen Malte John

  2. Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, MSH Medical School Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany

    Britta Wulfhorst

  3. Institute for Interdisciplinary Dermatological Prevention and Rehabilitation (iDerm), University of Osnabrück, Sedanstraße 115, 49090, Osnabrück, Germany

    Annika Wilke, Kathrin Gediga, Swen Malte John & Britta Wulfhorst

Authors
  1. Annika Wilke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kathrin Gediga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Swen Malte John
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Britta Wulfhorst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Annika Wilke.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wilke, A., Gediga, K., John, S.M. et al. Evaluation of structured patient education in occupational skin diseases: a systematic assessment of the disease-specific knowledge. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 87, 861–869 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0926-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0926-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation