Patient Education in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

This project will evaluate the effectiveness and general usefulness of two arthritis patient education programs. The first, the Arthritis Self-Management Program, is a 6-week, community-based program taught in small groups by peer leaders. The second, the Self-Managed Arthritis Relief Therapy (SMART) Program, is a computer-driven program delivered through the mail. Participants in this project are people with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis who are taking part in the larger long-term studies being conducted by ARAMIS (the Arthritis, Rheumatism and Aging Medical Information System).

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Key information

Conditions

Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis Arthritis, Rheumatoid Autoimmune Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Immune System Diseases Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Osteoarthritis Rheumatic Diseases Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Saskatoon, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

About this study

In a changing health care environment, the role of patients in managing their arthritis is increasingly important. Patient education is the primary means for teaching patients how to fulfill this role successfully. The goal of self-management health education is not merely to provide information but also to change patient attitudes and behavior so that patient outcomes are improved. These programs represent a new treatment for arthritis.

This project will evaluate the relative effect on health status and cost-effectiveness of two arthritis patient education programs that use different delivery systems. The Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP) uses a small group, multi-class format. It is taught by trained lay leaders and has been evaluated for effectiveness and widely disseminated. The Self-Managed Arthritis Relief Therapy (SMART) Program is a computer-driven, individualized, mail-delivered intervention. Results of a pilot study suggest that it is effective in improving health status and reducing health care use.

The project will also evaluate how generalizable the SMART program is and its effectiveness for patients with different diagnoses (OA and RA). It will also determine the attributes of patients who choose and do not choose to participate in patient education programs as well as the attributes of those who complete and do not complete the ASMP and SMART programs.

Through use of the ARAMIS data collection system, the project allows us to describe the differences between people who volunteer to receive patient education and those who refuse patient education. This project is directed at improving patient outcomes in both RA and OA through wide availability of a low-cost, mail-delivered arthritis self-management program that is the next generation in arthritis health education.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Physician diagnosis of OA or RA
Participation in the ARAMIS longitudinal study

Exclusion criteria

Age under 18

Treatment and study plan

Arthritis Self-Management Program

Behavioral

SMART Program

Behavioral

Other names: Self-Managed Arthritis Relief Therapy (SMART)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Stanford University

Other

Collaborators

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Registry information

Official study title

Patient Education Strategies for Better Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA)

Important dates

Study start: 1996
Primary completion: 2001
Study completion: 2001
First posted: Nov 4, 1999
Registry last updated: Jun 21, 2013

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed