Abstract
BACKGROUND: Compliance to treatment is often poor in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and it is well known that treatment compliance has a significant impact on patient outcomes. PURPOSE: This study was carried out to investigate the effect of a nurse-led disease management education programme on outcomes of patients with AS. The study was conducted as a randomised controlled experimental study. METHODS: A total of 122 patients, 61 in the intervention group and 61 in the control group, participated in this study. All patients were using TNF-α inhibitors. Patients were assessed using Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), Compliance Questionnaire on Rheumatology (CQR), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life Scale (ASQoL) and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK). RESULTS: Mean age of the intervention and the control group were 42.6 (±9.9) and 44.8 (±8.6) years, respectively. Although all scale scores were similar at baseline, by the end of the study, the mean scores for BASDAI (p < 0.001), BASFI (p = 0.026), ASQoL (p < 0.001), TSK (p = 0.001) and CQR (p < 0.001) in the intervention group showed significant improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led disease management education is effective in improving patient outcomes. Continuous education and counselling should be provided to patients, their families and caregivers.