Evaluation of a Therapeutic Education Program on Self-image in Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases (IMAG'RIC)

Chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD), like all chronic somatic disease, can impair self-esteem and self-image in affected individuals. Numerous studies conducted in this population have confirmed this fact. Therapeutic patient education (TPE) programs aim to help patients acquire self-care and adaptive skills. However, there is a near-total absence of workshops specifically dedicated to self-image in TPE programs for CIRD. Such educational interventions have shown their effectiveness in contexts such as cancer and obesity. Our study aims to evaluate their effectiveness for patients with CIR.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Self questionnaire; Other: interview

Detailed Description

A chronic disease is a long-term, progressive illness that affects the daily life of the person affected. The onset of the disease is a major upheaval, a moment of rupture between a before and an after. Physical functions and appearance can be altered by the disease (deformities, stiffness… in the case of rheumatic diseases) and by treatments.

According to Schilder, body image is "the way our body appears to ourselves." It can be defined as the set of perceptions, emotions, and thoughts related to appearance. It consists of perceptions but also of representations and feelings, which are built and evolve throughout the individual's experience. It is not limited to physical appearance and properties. It is the foundation of identity.

The disease affects the body, but also has an impact on self-perception, self-esteem, and even identity.

The literature highlights the importance of using qualitative research in addition to quantitative methods to grasp the full complexity of body image.

Despite the progress and effectiveness of treatments, recent studies showed that patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD) have an unsatisfactory, disturbed body image. Literature data also reveal that self-esteem and quality of life in this population are lower than in the general population.

Most studies focused on the consequences of the disease, and very few on the actions taken to address these difficulties encountered by patients, even though such actions are recommended.

Therapeutic patient education (TPE) is support offered to the patient and their relatives so they can take ownership of their disease. TPE is a comprehensive approach that meets the patient's needs and aims to maintain and/or improve quality of life with the illness.

Most therapeutic education workshops related to self-image are proposed in the context of cancer, psychiatric disorders, or obesity. Body image is rarely the direct subject of a workshop in programs aimed at patients with CIRD.

A few studies on the impact of image consulting workshops have been conducted in oncology, but very few in the context of other diseases, including rheumatic conditions. Existing studies show an improvement in self-image, self-esteem, and quality of life after educational interventions, thus a real benefit for patients.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Marie Laure TOURNEUR, Therapeutic education nurse; Phone Number: +33 01 58 41 26 58; Email: marie-laure.tourneur@aphp.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Aline DECHANET, Project advisor; Email: aline.dechanet@aphp.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Île-de-France Region
    • Paris, Île-de-France Region, France, 75014
      • Hôpital Cochin - Service de rhumatologie -27 rue du Faubourg St Jacques
      • Contact: Marie Laure TOURNEUR; Phone Number: +33 01 58 41 26 58; Email: marie-laure.tourneur@aphp.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The target population will consist of patients with RIC (rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis) participating in the ETP programme

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Suffering from chronic inflammatory rheumatism (rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis)
• Having agreed to follow the therapeutic education programme offered by the department as part of routine care
• Not opposed to participating in the research

Exclusion Criteria:

• People who do not speak or read French
• Current pregnancy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To evaluate a therapeutic patient education intervention focused on self-image in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases	Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ)	3 months following completion of the 'self-image' module

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To evaluate a therapeutic patient education intervention on each domain of self-image	Measurement of each subscale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ)	3 months following completion of the 'self-image' module
To evaluate a therapeutic patient education intervention focused on self-image in relation to self-esteem.	Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale before participation : min = 10, max=40	3 months following completion of the 'self-image' module
To evaluate a therapeutic patient education intervention focused on self-image in relation to quality of life.	Measurement of the quality of life score using the SF-36 questionnaire	3 months following completion of the 'self-image' module
To explore body image in patients after participating in therapeutic education workshops on self-image.	Data from individual qualitative interviews (inductive approach).	4 months following completion of the 'self-image' module

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
• Collaborators: Unité de Recherche Clinique Necker Cochin, France
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marie Laure TOURNEUR, Marie Laure, AP-HP - Hôpital Cochin - Service de rhumatologie.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 28, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 5, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): September 12, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 12, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 5, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Therapeutic patient education; Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic diseases
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Interviews as Topic
• Other Study ID Numbers: APHP250978; IDRCB (Other Identifier: 2024-A00519-38)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No