None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a long-term, inflammatory skin condition of unknown cause affecting the sweat/scent glands in the skin, predominantly located in the groin, axillae and under the breasts. Patients can experience painful boil-like nodules in addition to discharging wound tracts which are difficult to heal. Consequently, this HS can cause severe long-term pain in addition to serious psychological effects such as depression, anxiety and social withdrawal. HS severity is graded according to the Hurley system which calculates a grade based on the numbers of inflammatory nodules, in addition to the presence of sinus tracts and abscesses. To manage their symptoms, many patients require immunosuppressant medications and extensive surgery to remove the affected tissue. In such cases, application of topical medications as well as effective dressings can be a challenge. To date, specialised nurse-led education programs have not been trialled in cases of HS, despite their proven benefit in other dermatological conditions. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a personalised dermatology-led education program for patients with hidradenitis suppurativa. Participants will be allocated randomly using a randomisation sequence generated by Microsoft Excel using random block sizes of two (2). Randomisation and allocation of participants will be performed by the dermatology nurse who will be administering the education sessions. Allocations will be concealed from the researchers who will be analysing the collected data. Participants allocated to the intervention group will be provided with the education session whilst participants allocated to the control session will not receive any additional education. At the 8-week mark of the project, the groups will switch so that the participants initially allocated to the control group will then be provided with the education session. Nil further education sessions will be provided to the (original) intervention group. Intervention: The intervention employed in this project is a nurse-led education session provided by a highly experienced dermatology clinical nurse, to take place in the dermatology outpatient department at Princess Alexandra Hospital. The sessions will be individualised to each participant but, in general, will provide education about: • The nature of the condition • Effective application of topical medications and dressings (with demonstration) • Modification of lifestyle factors known to contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa severity (eg weight loss and smoking cessation) • Pain management Each session will take an estimated 45-60 minutes and participants will be offered the opportunity to contact the dermatology nurse 4-6 weeks later to address any questions or concerns that have arisen. The sessions will not be recorded.
Interventions
The intervention employed in this project is a nurse-led education session provided by a highly experienced dermatology clinical nurse, to take place in the dermatology outpatient department at Princess Alexandra Hospital.
The sessions will be individualised to each participant but, in general, will provide education about the nature of the condition, how/when/where to apply topical medications and dressings (with demonstration), modification of lifestyle factors known to contribute to hidradeni
The intervention employed in this project is a nurse-led education session provided by a highly experienced dermatology clinical nurse, to take place in the dermatology outpatient department at Princess Alexandra Hospital. The sessions will be individualised to each participant but, in general, will provide education about the nature of the condition, how/when/where to apply topical medications and dressings (with demonstration), modification of lifestyle factors known to contribute to hidradenitis suppurativa severity (eg weight loss and smoking cessation) and pain management. Each session will take an estimated 45-60 minutes and will be followed up by a phone call several weeks later to address any questions or concerns that have arisen. The sessions will not be recorded Although the individual topics covered in the nurse-led education session is often discussed in the dermatology clinic during a standard consultation as part of standard care. An individualised hour-long session specifically devoted to education is not provided as standard. By providing this additional education as an adjunct to standard therapy, we hope to demonstrate improvement in patient outcomes relating to the measures described earlier.
Sponsors
Dr Bradley Miller
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Other
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
• Patients with severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) who attend the Princess Alexandra Hospital HS Multidisciplinary clinic. • Primary language is English • Aged 18 years or older
Exclusion criteria
• Primary language other than English • Unable/unwilling to provide consent
Outcome results
None listed