Planning, designing and setting up a therapeutic education program for PAH patients:a comprehensive team work project

摘要

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a chronic orphan disease characterized by elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure leading to right heart dysfunction. In order to improve the multidisciplinary management of these patients, a therapeutic patient education program "HArPE" was set in a pneumology department. The aim of this project was to enhance and maintain patient capabilities and to allow them to acquire new habits that improve their quality of life. At first, we established a list of criteria constituting the project. These items were: the PAH related issues, the target population, the context, the objectives, the partnership, the method, the organization plan, and finally its evaluation. All the building steps of the HArPe project have been successfully performed. The steering committee for the project was constituted. This committee elaborated an acknowledged definition of therapeutic patient education. Then the different possible sessions were designed and were priotirized. The organization scheme was adapted to the patient hospital stay. The team was trained to the educative diagnostic. Finally a six-month test period will be implemented to allow necessary adjustments before the official starting.