INTRODUCTION

1. VENETO REGION - PADUA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, ITALY THERAPEUTIC EDUCATION INCREASES HEALTH LITERACY OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS^Belleggia G., ∞Goegan L., ∞Pizzocaro F.,*Marcolongo R.^Psychologist, Clinical Immunology Unit, Padua University Hospital ∞Student, faculty of Science of Education, Padua University*Physician, Clinical Immunology Unit, Padua University Hospital METHODS AND STUDY POPULATION Fifteen patients, mean age 70 years (s.d. 7,2, min.54 - max 82), were enrolled in the TPE. It consisted of 5 structured teaching sessions that have been carried out together by an haematologist and a psychologist. They taught patients and their caregivers specific knowledge about the disease and the treatment, and provided them with some basic safety and emotional self-management skills. A professional educator and a general practitioner gave their advice and contribution to the planning and the implementation of the programme. Evaluation tools: knowledge pre- and post-test questionnaire, State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS We found a statistical difference in patients’ knowledge level before and after educational programme (T = -5,969 ; p = .000). Indeed, the percentage of correct answer before TPE (educational diagnosis) was 43,69%, while after education (post-test) it was 78,46%. After TPE, besides the increase of patient perceived quality of life, we also observed both a significant decrease of anxiety and depression level. INTRODUCTION Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplastic plasmacell disorder affecting adult or elderly people, that usually exhibits an indolent clinical evolution. Many MM patients have to take long-term oral chemotherapy to maintain the disease under control; moreover, they must learn and put in to practice adequate health behaviour and coping strategies in order to prevent disease or treatment related complications and to preserve a good quality of life. This situation makes necessary the empowerment of patients by an adequate health literacy and knowledge about disease and treatment. Nevertheless, besides alarming prejudice about neoplastic diseases and chemotherapy, many elderly MM patients have a low level of instruction and of health literacy and a partial or total lack of information about the disease and the treatment that makes difficult their active engagement. With the purpose to promote the empowerment of MM patients, the Clinical Immunology Unit of Padua University Hospital devised a specific Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) programme. DISCUSSION In the old age, the effective and safe treatment of MM requires the active and aware participation of both patients and their caregivers. This results can be accomplished only throughout the empowerment of patients and their caregivers in the management of the disease. An effective therapeutic patient education is the most important tool in the hands of healthcare professionals to achieve such a result. Indeed, TPErepresents a good empowerment strategy that, increasing patients’ health literacy, can be effective in the control of patient’s emotional distress; moreover, by active learning, patients and their caregivers can improve their quality of life. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Dr. Renzo Marcolongo: Clinical Immunology Unit, Padua Universital Hospital via Giustiniani, 3 – 35128 PADUA (Italy) E-mail: renzo.marcolongo@unipd.it THERAPEUTIC PATIENT EDUCATION LABORATORY– PADUA (ITALY)