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Special Article

 

Evolving the comprehensive management of rheumatoid arthritis: identification of unmet needs and development of practical and educational tools

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

 

  1. Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Free University and Humboldt University Berlin, Germany. gerd.burmester@charite.de
  2. Rheumatology Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
  3. Neil Betteridge Associates, London, UK.
  4. Jefe de Servicio de Reumatología del Hospital Universitario Araba, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava, Spain.
  5. Departement de Rhumatologie, CHU Montpellier, Université Montpellier, France.
  6. Rheumatology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Brussels, Belgium.
  7. Rheumatology, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Sorbonne Université/Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, France.
  8. Serviço de Reumatologia, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Portugal.
  9. Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
  10. Academic Rheumatology Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy.
  11. Department of Rheumatology, IRCCS Policlinico S. Matteo Foundation, University of Pavia, Italy.
  12. Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
  13. Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, and Zuyderland Medical Center, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
  14. Klinik für Rheumatologie, Kantonsspital St.Gallen, Switzerland.
  15. Section for Outcomes Research, Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
  16. Division of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
  17. Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, University of Oxford, UK.
  18. University of Twente, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands.

CER14034
2020 Vol.38, N°6
PI 1056, PF 1067
Special Article

Free to view
(click on article PDF icon to read the article)

PMID: 33253107 [PubMed]

Received: 11/09/2020
Accepted : 28/10/2020
In Press: 17/11/2020
Published: 03/12/2020

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Despite availability of efficacious treatments, unmet needs still exist, preventing optimal and comprehensive management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Evolving the management of RA (eRA) is a European-wide educational initiative aiming to support improved patient care through practical and educational tools addressing specific unmet needs.
METHODS:
A multidisciplinary Steering Committee (17 members, 12 countries) identified unmet needs within the management of RA and prioritised those with the greatest impact on patient outcomes. Practical educational tools addressing priority needs were then developed for dissemination and implementation by the rheumatology community across Europe.
RESULTS:
Five areas of priority need were identified: increasing early recognition of RA and treatment initiation; treating RA to target; optimal, holistic approach to selection of treatment strategy, including shared decision-making; improving identification and management of comorbidities; and non-pharmacological patient management. A suite of 14 eRA tools included educational slides, best-practice guidance, self‑assessment questionnaires, clinical checklists, a multidisciplinary team training exercise, an interactive patient infographic, and case scenarios. By April 2020, rheumatology professionals in 17 countries had been actively engaged in the eRA programme; in 11 countries, eRA tools were selected by national leaders in rheumatology and translated for local dissemination. A web platform, with country-specific pages, was developed to support access to the translated tools (https://www.evolvingthemanagementofra.com/).
CONCLUSIONS:
The eRA programme supports comprehensive management of RA across Europe through development and dissemination of practical educational tools. The eRA tools address priority needs and are available free of charge to the rheumatology community.

Rheumatology Article