Structured Patient Education Versus Written Information for Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome

July 19, 2011 updated by: Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden
In this randomized controlled study in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) we plan to compare the effects of a structured patient group education (IBS school) with receiving only written information in the form of a IBS-guidebook. The effects of the interventions on GI and psychological symptom severity, knowledge and quality of life will be assessed with validated questionnaires at baseline and 3 and 6 months after the intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In this randomized controlled study in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) we plan to compare the effects of a structured patient group education (IBS school) with receiving only written information in the form of a IBS-guidebook. We plan to include men and women 18 to 70 years old, with IBS according to the Rome II criteria, who are referred from physicians in primary care and secondary/tertiary care to participate in the study. The education will be held at the GI out patient clinic at Sahlgrenska University hospital in Gothenburg. A nurse, specialized in GI functional disorders will conduct an interview with each patient for about 30 minutes to collect additional information from the patients before inclusion. The patients will be informed about the positive results obtained in previous studies with both interventions, i.e. a structured patient education (IBS school) and a self-help guidebook. Patients with an organic GI disease and/or with another disease potentially affecting the GI symptoms were excluded. Likewise, patients with a severe psychiatric disease were excluded due to potential problems to participate in a group intervention. In order to allocate an equal number of patients to both of the interventions during the study, a number of up to 20 patients will be interviewed in a block during one week. After all these interviews the patients will be randomly divided into two groups with an equal number of patients in each group. The groups will then be randomized 1:1 to either start the IBS school within two to three weeks, or to receive the IBS Guidebook. The patients in the guidebook group will be offered to participate in the IBS school six months later, as part of the clinical routine at our unit (as requested by the ethics committee). The effects of the interventions on GI and psychological symptom severity, knowledge and quality of life will be assessed with validated questionnaires at baseline and 3 and 6 months after the intervention:

  1. Perceived knowledge about IBS
  2. IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS)
  3. IBS Quality of Life (IBSQOL)
  4. Visceral Sensitivity Index (VSI)
  5. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)

The interventions:

IBS school The IBS school is designed based on the self-efficacy theory , and the general theory of nursing. Moreover, the education is performed based on a biopsychosocial model considered to be important in functional GI disorders. The IBS-school consists of six sessions held once per week in a group setting with eight to ten patients in each group. Five different health care professionals (nurse, gastroenterologist, dietician, physiotherapist and psychologist) are involved in the education, in order to cover a wide spectra of issues related to IBS. Each of the professionals will hold one session for two hours where a lot of space is given for discussion in the group. This intervention has been described in detail previously (Ringström et. al. Submitted).

IBS Guidebook The IBS Guidebook consists of two booklets, written for IBS patients by one of the gastroenterologists in this study (MS). The booklets are detailed and cover the same areas of issues related to IBS as are covered in the structured education, namely pathophysiological mechanisms, GI and extra intestinal symptoms, the diagnostic workup, treatment options, food related issues, psychological and lifestyle factors.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

143

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Sweden
      • Gothenburg, Sweden, 41345
        • Dept of Internal Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men and women 18 to 70 years old, with IBS according to the Rome II criteria
  • Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • An organic GI disease and/or with another disease potentially affecting the GI symptoms
  • Severe psychiatric disease

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 1
Structured patients group intervention - IBS school
Behavioral: IBS school
Structured patient group education
Active Comparator: 2
Written information - IBS-guidebook
Behavioral: IBS-guidebook
Written information - IBS-guidebook

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effect on GI symptoms as measured by IBS-SSS
Time Frame: Basleline and 3 and 6 months
Basleline and 3 and 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Effects on Quality of life (IBSQOL), Psychological symptoms (HAD), GI specific anxiety (VSI) and knowledge about IBS.
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 and 6 months
Baseline, 3 and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Magnus Simrén, MD, PhD, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

August 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2008

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2008

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 25, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 27, 2008

First Posted (Estimate)

June 30, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

July 20, 2011

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 19, 2011

Last Verified

June 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • S487-02

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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