Background: Limited access to rheumatologists in Canadian remote regions leads to delays in new-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) diagnosis and inadequate follow-up for disease flares or treatment adjustments. There is a critical need for innovative models of care addressing these unmet needs in resource-limited settings. E-health technologies offer a promising solution by bridging the gap between in-person rheumatology appointments. These tools can optimize the use of scarce specialist resources, enhance the continuity and quality of care, and provide greater convenience for patients-particularly in underserved or geographically isolated areas. By supporting timely interventions and patient-centered monitoring, e-health can play a vital role in improving outcomes and ensuring equitable access to care.
Objectives: This study will evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a nurse-led telehealth remote self-monitoring model of care for patients with RA.
Primary Objective: Acceptability of a nurse-led telehealth remote self-monitoring program, defined as patient-reported perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, attitudes, and overall experience, and assessed with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.
Secondary Objectives: Feasibility using the RE-AIM implementation framework:
- Reach: Proportion of eligible patients enrolled and comparison of participant versus non-participant characteristics.
- Effectiveness: Frequency and relevance of nurse calls, healthcare utilization, health-related quality of life, disease activity, and medication adherence.
- Adoption: Completion rate of remote monitoring questionnaires, study retention, and reasons for discontinuation.
- Implementation: Fidelity to protocol, appropriateness of alerts, subsequent actions, and timeliness of in-person visits; identify barriers and facilitators.
- Maintenance: Intention for continued use among healthcare providers and patients.
Methods - The investigators will recruit 104 adults with RA who experienced a flare or required a DMARDs switch within the preceding three months, from 4 rheumatology practices (community and academic sites) providing care to >15,000 RA patients. All participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive either immediate intervention (for 16 months) or delayed, i.e. usual care for 8 months (control period) followed by 8 months of intervention, consisting of remote self-monitoring using a web platform co-developed with patients, rheumatologists, and nurses. Rheumatology visits will be scheduled every 3-6 months, with additional visits as necessary. The intervention includes nurse-led remote self-monitoring of RA, with patients completing monthly self-assessments of disease activity (RADAI), symptoms and function (PROMIS-29). Rheumatology nurses will receive alerts if monitoring suggests moderate/high disease activity and will contact participants to determine care needed. Tailored information based on PROMIS-29 answers will be sent to facilitate self-management. Asynchronous messaging with rheumatology nurses and information on RA self-management will be available. Data will be collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Analysis will use quantitative (generalized linear mixed-effect models comparing within group changes [8 months - baseline, both groups combined] and between groups differences [intervention versus control] in continuous variables), and qualitative methods (thematic content analysis by two independent researchers).
Impact and feasibility. A nurse-led remote self-monitoring of RA using a web-based platform codeveloped with patient input, has potential to enhance access to care and more efficiently use scarce rheumatology resources while providing high quality care.
