ACCESS TO QUALITY INFORMATION FOR FINDING OUT ABOUT AND UNDERSTANDING RHINOSINUSITIS: KEY ELEMENTS FOR IMPROVING QUALITY OF LIFE
Patients and relatives want information adapted to their needs about prevention, treatment and management of the sinus infection symptoms.
Hartington Rhinosinusitis Classroom, gives access to tools and accredited resources, updated through the search, selection and review of the best content on rhinosinusitis, and contributes to facilitate to patients can live with more autonomy and knowledge about their health condition.
Rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal passages. It can begin during a common cold, and tends to last about 5 days. When it lasts more than 10 days it is called acute rhinosinusitis and can last up to 12 weeks. Duration of more than 12 weeks is known as chronic rhinosinusitis. It has different origin (physical, bacterial, allergies, etc.) but the most current cause is the viral origins. This condition can last many years if it is not treated properly.
Today Patients’ University have stating up the Hartington Rhinosinusitis Classroom: an innovative initiative that gives access to tools and accredited resources, updated through the search, selection and review of the best content on rhinosinusitis, and contributes to facilitate to patients and careers can live with more autonomy and knowledge about this health condition.
This project is an initiative that aims to help patients attend to their own needs by offering quality information adapted to health patients’ needs that can act as a tool for prevention, treatment and management of symptoms.
The Hartington Rhinosinusitis Classroom has been led by the Josep Laporte Foundation and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, with sponsorship from Hartington and it has a multidisciplinary steering group composed of health professionals from the fields of ENT, general practitioners, nurses and pharmacists, among others. The steering group was composed to oversee quality and the adaptation of the classroom to the needs of patients and their families as well as to participate in activities related to the classroom (information, educational or research activities) among other tasks.
Rhinosinusitis information
Rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal passages. Rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and nasal passages. It can begin during a common cold, which tends to last about 5 days. When it lasts more than 10 days it is called acute rhinosinusitis and can last up to 12 weeks. Duration of more than 12 weeks means that the situation has become chronic and is known as chronic rhinosinusitis. This condition can last many years if it is not treated properly.
The causes of rhinosinusitis in both adults and children can be found in infections, allergies and reactions to some drugs. Sometimes it is also caused by changes in temperature, atmospheric pressure or pollution (such as atmospheric pollution, cigarette smoke, dry air, etc.). Other causes are the viral, fungal or bacterial infections. Of these the most frequent cause is viral infection, frequently the germs responsible for respiratory infections, especially in winter, produced by flu virus, among others.
Hartington Rhinosinusitis Classroom, a useful quality tool
The Hartington Rhinosinusitis Classroom allows patients, carers and families to gain access to quality information resources, oriented towards improving understanding and action in cases of sinusitis. It also helps to find useful answers to questions and daily problems in areas of prevention, treatment and improvement of symptoms.
This classroom can obtain information using resources, news, updates and audiovisual materials for all ages (tutorials, videos) as well as participation in social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, RSS and Forums for debate.
Dr. Quer, an ENT specialist at the Hospital Sant Pau i la Santa Creu and a member of the steering group committee for the project has stated that “rhinosinusitis has a negative impact on the quality of life of the person who suffers from it, whether at work, at school or in their private life, etc. Also, in some cases it results in an increase in absenteeism because of the symptoms it carries: headaches, tiredness, lack of concentration, changes in sleeping patterns, among others. That is why it is so vitally important to get early diagnosis of the condition to find out the cause and the best treatment to increase the quality of life of the sufferer”.
Information and training are vital for patients to be able to manage their own health efficiently” stresses Dr. Albert J. Jovell, Director of the University of Patients. Also, knowledge in self-management of the illness not only improves the patient’s quality of life, but also clinical results and health indicators”
Patients’ University
Patients’ University is Josep Laporte Foundation Project and University Autonomous of Barcelona (UAB).
Patients’ University is a university specially dedicated to patients, their families, careers, volunteers and the general public interested in health and healthcare issues. The aim of the project is to promote the modernization and improvement of quality of the healthcare services by means of the development of informational, training and research activities.
www.universidadpacientes.org
Hartington Pharmaceutical
Hartington Pharmaceutical is part of a group of Pharmaceutical companies with an international presence, the first of which was founded in 1996, and have shown an extraordinary expansion in recent years. They are dedicated to Biotechnological research, to the development and production of pharmaceutical preparations based on natural substances. The products are elaborated using the most advanced technology and boast the distinctive seal of excellence. Nature- Technology-Health
www.hartington.org.
More information:
Fundació Josep Laporte – Sandra Pereira
Communication responsible
Tel. 93 433 50 80
Fax. 93 433 50 55
sandra.pereira@uab.es
