[Patient education--how can the long-term effect be analyzed and how long does it last?]

In a comparative study the effect of a brief education or associated with an additional group education will be examined. The possible test parameters are critically examined.

In a general practitioner's surgery 564 patients with chronic obstructive airway diseases were given a brief education and 63 of these patients were given additional group instruction. For these patients and for 55 patients with only brief education, medication costs, doses, hospital treatment, cases or days of work inability, episodes of dyspnoea and the contact with the surgery were examined for the first 6 months prior to and following the education.

Hospital treatment was not necessary, the small number of cases or days of work inability and dyspnoea showed no differences. The cost of medication increased (413.13 DM to 518.88 DM to 400.21) only for a short while after the brief education. Following the combined education medication costs, after an intensive remarkable initial increase (429.62 DM to 539.81 DM), showed only a slight reduction (494.63 DM). Patients after brief education and patients with COPD after combined education needed a step-up. After a combined education a step down was possible for asthmatics (2.30 to 2.09 to 2.13). Within two years the quality of life returned to its original level after the combined courses. For all of the 55 patients with brief education the acceptance of cortisone kept sinking intensively. Following additional group education after an initial increase it remained above the preceding period for all patients for up to 7 and for asthmatics for up 4 follow-up periods. The contact with the surgery dropped for all patients after a brief education more quickly than after additional group education.

In surgery the effect of patient education with quality of life, acceptance of cortisone and the reduction in visits to the surgery can obviously be judged better than with the parameter used so far. The effect declines more quickly after brief education than after combined education in which case a refresher course is necessary after 3-4 years.