52 - Arthritis patient education, self-management, and health promotion

Abstract

Treat-to-target approaches are recommended as the most effective way to manage arthritis and are predicated upon shared decision making between providers and patients. Using this approach, patients’ preferences for treatments, combined with physician expertise, inform which treatments are used, goal setting, and testing choices. A key aspect of shared decision making is effective provider-patient communication, that should include verbal and non-verbal strategies that foster patient-initiated dialogue, active listening, and knowledge acquisition. To further enhance health outcomes and advance health promotion initiatives in arthritis care, interprofessional healthcare teams should be established, and population-based approaches to arthritis management should be employed. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) care and self-management programs, integral to positive health outcomes, are most successful when they are focused on enhancing self-efficacy or promoting health behavior change. In recent years, RA care and self-management have expanded to include telemedicine as well as the use of mobile apps and wearable technology devices. These innovations improve knowledge transfer and provide insight into the physical and psychological symptoms that may not be captured during medical visits. In this chapter, we share strategies that can be employed in the clinical encounter to address factors impacting patient care such as health literacy and cultural considerations, psychosocial and emotional factors, interprofessional team care and collaboration, treatment adherence, and patient preferences for treatment.