A randomized controlled trial of an educational programme with telephone reinforcement to improve perceived health status of Brazilian burn victims at 6-month post discharge

Aim. The aim of this study was to compare health status, self-efficacy, symptoms of depression and anxiety and post-traumatic stress between two groups of burn victims receiving information on self-care through routine care or an educational programme with telephone reinforcement. Background. Self-care post discharge is an important factor on quality of life of burn victims. Reinforcement of self-care programme via telephone follow-up might improve self-efficacy and general health perception in burn victims. Design. Randomized, controlled clinical trial. Method. From 2011-2012, we randomized 108 burn victims either to an educational programme on self-care tailored for burn victims according to the cognitive social theory and reinforcement by telephone every 4-6 weeks for 6 months post discharge, or to the routine instructions given at discharge from the hospital. During hospitalization, at discharge, at 6 and 12 months post discharge, we collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, Burns Specific Health Scale Revised (BSHS-R), Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (PSE), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) and Impact of the Event Scale (IES). We analysed data using t-test, Chi-square test and linear regression models. Results. Groups were similar regarding clinical and demographic characteristics, except for age. At 6-month follow-up, there were no differences between the groups on BSHS-R, PSE and HADS Depression, while the intervention group showed fewer symptoms of anxiety (HADS Anxiety) and lower IES scores than the control group. Conclusion. The educational programme, when compared with usual care, reduced anxiety symptoms and post-traumatic stress. Educational programmes with telephone follow-up might be a viable intervention to improve self-care for burn victims.