Patient education key in achieving preventive healthcare

Joint pain is one of the most popular causes of disabilities globally, including Nigeria. While joint pain patients in the country are either abandoned in their homes as a result of ignorance or indulge in self medication, patient education, which is not a common norm in Nigeria, experts believe is a critical tool in achieving preventive healthcare, rather than paying more emphasis on curative medicine.

Speaking to BusinessDay during the launch of the Joint Pain School in Victoria Island, Lars Stork, Hygeia group chief executive, said that the initiative by Lagoons Hospital is aimed at educating and creating support for individuals suffering from joint pains due to various causes.

With the pains in the knees, hips and shoulders been the commonest ailments Nigerians suffer from, followed by pain in the back and neck, Stork noted that the project features how to prevent joints from becoming painful and what treatment options are available for those with painful joints.

According to Stork “The joint pain school presents a fantastic opportunity for anyone afflicted with joint pains or relatives of those disabled by joint pains to learn about causes of such painful joints and modern treatment options for alleviating the symptoms. Another milestone has been achieved by the Lagoon Hospitals as it has extended the Joint Pain School (JPS) to Victoria Island.

“The classes at the school which will be open for every Nigerian for free of charge would largely be run by a team of international experienced orthopaedic surgeons, specialist orthopaedic nurse and trained staff. Admission is completely free but booking will be required in advance. Our long term goal is to launch this initiative nationwide. It is our firm belief that with the launch of the school, the agony associated with living with joint pains will be highly reduced.”

Segun Abudu, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Birmingham, UK who is currently on sabbatical with Lagoon Hospitals, stated that when the JPS was launched at Apapa in 2011, the hospital did not envisage how popular how the classes would become but now, two years running, over 2000 patients have been able to utilise this patient education forum to improve their health status.

With this initiative been the first of its kind, Abudu noted that the hospital remains focused on improving patient education about joint pains among Nigerians, including medical experts as part of the Continuous Medical Education (CME).

“Even though the classes are held at Lagoon Hospital Apapa in 2011, we identified that there was a demand for this service in Victoria Island metropolis which we needed to address urgently. Therefore, classes will now hold at the Lagoon Hospitals Victoria Island site on the last Thursday of every month while the already established classes at lagoon Hospitals, Apapa will continue to hold on the last Wednesday of the month.

Abudu added that the school will afford patients the opportunity to tell their experiences and educate others who may have taken wrong decision in the past.

By: Alexander Chiejina