Assessment of education requirements for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, based on the Polish version of the Educational Needs Assessment Tool (Pol-ENAT), in the light of some health problems – A cross-sectional study

Introduction Patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis (RA) need advice in order to face the problems of everyday life, as well as suffering associated with the disease. Health professionals should attempt to raise the level of resourcefulness and independence of the patient. Objective To assess the relationship between the deficit of knowledge about RA and the degree of pain, fatigue, morning stiffness, assessment of disease activity as well as functional efficiency. Material and Methods The study was conducted on 277 patients with RA in 7 rheumatologic centres in Poland. The method applied was the questionnaire Pol-ENAT (0–156); HAQ DI (0–3); analog scales (0–100). Results Mean (SD) age was 53.28 (13.01) and disease duration 13.70 (10.63) years. The mean (SD) value was 54.93 (23.17) for pain, 52.97 (21.98) for fatigue, 48.28 (24.76) for morning stiffness (0–100 mm). HAQ DI was 1.40 (0.66), with an upward trend with duration of disease (p