Arthritis patient education: a review of the literature.

Arthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases and the number one disabler of the elderly. Even though arthritis is a major cause of morbidity and a contributor to early mortality, relatively few studies have been undertaken to examine effects of arthritis patient education. This review was undertaken to (1) provide a summary of arthritis patient education studies, (2) summarize the effectiveness of arthritis patient education in changing knowledge, behavior, psychological status, and health status, (3) address critical issues/problems in arthritis patient education study methodology, and (4) suggest guidelines for future design, implementation, and evaluation of arthritis patient education programs. In addition, we discuss implications of past studies for future practice.