Nurse telephone education for promoting a treat‐to‐target approach in recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis patients: A pilot project

• Published in: Musculoskeletal care 2019-03, Vol.17 (1), p.156-160
• Main Authors: Farley, Siobhan, Libman, Bonita, Edwards, Melinda, Possidente, Carl J., Kennedy, Amanda G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical decision making; Education; nurse; patient education; patient satisfaction; Pilot projects; Rheumatoid arthritis; shared decision making
• ISSN: 1478-2189; 1557-0681
• DOI: 10.1002/msc.1376

Objective The aim of the present study was to implement a nurse telephone education programme for patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that promotes shared decision‐making and a treat‐to‐target approach. Methods This was a pilot project of newly diagnosed adult RA patients conducted between November 2015 and December 2016. A rheumatology clinic nurse telephoned patients to offer disease education. A toolkit was mailed to patients. Measures included call attempts, call time, a qualitative description of free‐text notes and the proportion of patients who adhered to their next clinic visit. Data were analysed descriptively and qualitatively. Results Twenty‐six patients participated in the nurse calls. Most patients were female (65%), with a median age of 54 years (range 22–78 years). Median call length was 14.5 min, with a range of 8–23 min. Qualitative notes indicated that patients overwhelmingly supported the nurse calls. Nineteen patients (73%) were adherent to their follow‐up visit. Conclusion This preliminary project successfully implemented an educational programme that included a nurse‐facilitated, RA‐specific, telephone call and toolkit. This educational programme could be a model for similar educational efforts by other clinics.