Fatigue management education for persons with disease-related fatigue

Fatigue is a very common symptom with a high impact on quality of life across a range of chronic conditions. Self-management education is an innovative approach to fatigue management. This systematic learning experience guided by an occupational therapist is a combination of methods such as the provision on information and behaviour modification techniques, which influence the way the patient experiences his/her illness or side effects of the illness.

The aim of patient education is to learn how to cope with a condition and to enable them to acquire helpful behaviours, habits and routines and to improve or mantain a long-term social participation and well-being.

Until now feasible and evaluated treatments or protocols are rare and their transfer into clinical practice is still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this research line is to test the effectiveness of fatigue management education and to support the implementation of new practices with the training of professionals and the accompaniment of pilot projects in collaboration with stakeholders on the ground.