Patient education has become a task that is dictated by law in Norway and is one of the four main tasks of Norwegian hospitals. Despite this, there is a lack of research and researchers in this area. Based on a grant from the Central Norway Regional Health Authority, a researcher has been employed to build up the first research group on patient education in Norway and this application is for a project that will recruit two doctoral students that can be future researchers in this area.
The aim for the present project is to develop a patient education intervention, study the effect and the cost benefit of this intervention and to explore the experience of the patients taking part in the intervention for two different patients groups, namely patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and rheumatic disease.
The principal aims is to
1. In qualitative study describe the development of a patient education program for patients with COPD and rheumatic disease
2. In a randomised controlled trail, the effect of a patient education program for patients with COPD and rheumatic disease will be studied
3. In a randomised controlled trail, the cost benefit of a patient education program for patients with COPD and rheumatic disease will be studied
4. In qualitative study the experiences of patients who have participated in of a patient education program for patients with COPD and rheumatic disease will be explored