Effectiveness of the re-engineered discharge (RED) care model in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate whether the re-engineered discharge (RED) model can significantly improve the quality of life, enhance the health status, and reduce the levels of depression and anxiety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis during hospitalization. This study selected 108 rheumatoid arthritis patients treated at our facility between February 2023 and February 2024. Based on the different treatment methods, these patients were divided into a control group and an observation group, with 54 patients in each group. During hospitalization, both groups received standardized routine care provided by the hospital. After discharge, the control group continued with regular follow-up visits, while the observation group received a more comprehensive and multidimensional extended care based on the RED model. The intervention period for both groups was set to 3 months. The core observation indicators of this study focused on the emotional fluctuations, symptom improvement, and changes in self-care ability of the patients before and after the intervention. After the intervention, the scores of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale in both groups showed significant decreases, with the scores in the observation group being significantly lower than those in the control group, showing a highly significant statistical difference (P < .01). Additionally, the joint pain scores in both groups were alleviated, reflected by shorter morning stiffness times, reduced joint swelling, and increased grip strength. The observation group had lower joint pain scores, shorter morning stiffness times, fewer swollen joints, and stronger grip strength, all of which were statistically significant (P < .01). Furthermore, the distribution of self-care abilities in the observation group showed a significant difference compared to the control group (P < .05), with the observation group having a higher proportion of self-care abilities, which was also statistically significant (P < .05). For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the implementation of the RED model nursing strategy can significantly alleviate negative emotions, reduce the distress caused by symptoms, and markedly improve their quality of life, providing a more comfortable and reassuring treatment experience.