Much research is devoted to the study of possible measures aimed at reducing the hospitalization time in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). A team of scientists led by Carol R. Horowitz has taken a very unconventional approach to solving this problem.

One of the most important parts of the multilateral program of measures to reduce the hospital stay of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, introduced by this group of researchers, has been to educate patients in order to raise their awareness of the disease and to prepare them for earlier discharge from hospital.

In retrospect, data were collected on patients with community-acquired pneumonia treated between October 1996 and April 1997. These patients were interviewed to determine the initial level of awareness of their disease and to assess the quality of medical care available to them provided. From July 1997, a series of educational events were organized for doctors and nurses (conferences, individual training by experts), as well as the training of patients with nurses and the use of a specially prepared brochure informing patients of community-acquired pneumonia. In addition, guidelines have been developed for the optimal duration of intravenous antibiotic administration in the CAP.

After carrying out this program of activities, a clinical epidemiological evaluation of the patients treated for community-acquired pneumonia was repeated from October 1997 to April 1998.

Patients interviewed after the educational program (N = 114), compared to patients treated before the implementation of these measures (N = 163), showed far fewer complaints that the medical staff did not try to provide them appropriate care (7 vs 60, or 6% vs 37%, p = 0.001), a greater number of patients noted having received all the information necessary for their recovery (94% vs 37%, p = 0.02) and were warned of possible signs of relapse (60% vs 46%, p = 0.03).

Following the implementation of the specified program of measures, the average duration of intravenous administration of antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia decreased from 5.0 ± 3.7 days to 4.3 ± 3.3 days ( p = 0.04).

Thus, researchers have shown that the introduction of a training program for patients with community-acquired pneumonia can considerably improve patients' awareness of their disease, their opinion on the quality of medical care provided to them and at the same time reduce the duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy courses.