Current Issues in Nurse-Led Management of Gout: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background: Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by elevated serum urate levels due to genetic predisposition, diet, or medical comorbidities. It affects more than 2% of the world's population, and its prevalence and incidence are anticipated to continue increasing due to the aging world. Despite this trend, its treatment remains suboptimal. Nurse-led management is more effective than traditional GP-led care. This narrative review aims to identify current issues in nurse-led management of gout and provide recommendations for future improvements. Methods: Relevant studies were searched on the Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Current issues in nurse-led management of gout were then thematically organized. Results: There is high-quality evidence on the role of nurses in gout management, including patient education, individualized lifestyle/diet advice, and ULT administration. However, nurses continue to experience time constraints. Also, a few studies, though of low quality, suggested that nurses have sufficient knowledge of the clinical manifestations of gout but a limited understanding of gout management. The role of telemedicine was also revealed in two studies, but the studies were of low quality and did not reveal its effectiveness. Conclusion: Nurse-led interventions for gout management are effective but face significant challenges like time constraints and lack of knowledge. Nurses working in rheumatology departments should be trained in effective gout management. Future research should investigate the role and effectiveness of telemedicine in nurse-led gout management.