Is appreciation of written education about pain neurophysiology related to changes in illness perceptions and health status in patients with fibromyalgia?

• Published in: Patient education and counseling Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 269 - 274
• Main Authors: van Ittersum, M.W, van Wilgen, C.P, Groothoff, J.W, van der Schans, C.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-11-2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Appreciation; Biological and medical sciences; Catastrophic reactions; Catastrophization; Female; Fibromyalgia; Fibromyalgia - psychology; Health Status; Humans; Illness perceptions; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Netherlands; Neurophysiology; Nursing; Pain; Pain Measurement; Pain neurophysiology; Patient Education as Topic; Perception; Perceptions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Written education; Netherlands; Fibromyalgia; Pain neurophysiology; Illness perceptions; Written education; Storage media; Pain; Pedagogy; Disease; Mental representation; Support; Written communication; Patient; Perception; Rheumatism; Health education; Information
• ISSN: 0738-3991; 1873-5134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2010.09.006

Abstract Objective To investigate the appreciation of written education about pain neurophysiology in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and its effects on illness perceptions and perceived health status. Methods A booklet explaining pain neurophysiology was sent to participants with FM. Appreciation was assessed with 10 questions addressing relevance (0–30) and reassurance (0–30). Illness perceptions, catastrophizing and health status were measured with the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) at baseline (T0), after a 2-week control period (T1) and 6 weeks after the intervention (T2). Results Forty-one patients participated. Mean (SD) scores for relevance and reassurance were 21.6 (5.6) and 18.7 (5.7), respectively. Only illness coherence, emotional representations, pain and fatigue changed significantly between T0 and T2. Correlations between appreciation and changes in outcomes ranged between r = 0.00 and r = 0.34. Conclusions Although a majority of subjects appreciated the written information, it did not have clinically relevant effects on illness perceptions, catastrophizing or impact of FM on daily life. Practice implications Written education about pain neurophysiology is inadequate toward changing illness perceptions, catastrophizing or perceived health status of participants with FM; education should be incorporated into a broader multidisciplinary self-management program.