Measuring what matters in rheumatology in Alberta to improve care delivery
Aug 08, 2023Rheumatoid Arthritis can negatively affect the everyday lives of people who struggle with it when left untreated. This project will develop the ‘Alberta Rheumatology Learning Health System’, a tool designed to improve rheumatology care by learning from the data collected in everyday patient visits and making sure the care provided meets the highest standards.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis – Determining the best treatment for each person
Dec 15, 2022Treatment options for rheumatoid arthritis are constantly increasing and it is important that treatment recommendations are based on the most up to date information. This study will create a new approach for identifying, updating and assembling new information on treatments for this disease.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Care in Alberta – ‘The right care at the right time by the right provider’
Nov 24, 2022Appointments for rheumatoid arthritis are scheduled every 6 to12 months, this has led to a system that cannot deliver the appropriate treatment when it is most needed and make sure it is delivered by the right health care provider. This study will create and test a different way of providing care when needed.
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Use of the Emergency Department by Persons with Inflammatory Arthritis Conditions
Nov 04, 2022People with long-term inflammatory arthritis (IA) are going to ER departments for both emergency and non-emergency care as they are unable to get an appointment with their family doctor or rheumatologist. This study will recommend changes to help patients get the care they need and avoid the emergency department.
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Studying cell behavior to predict individual responses to methotrexate treatment
Nov 04, 2022In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early diagnosis and rapid initiation of effective treatment is key. Methotrexate (MTX) is the standard drug used in the treatment of RA, but alone may not be enough. This study will examine extracellular vesicles (EVs) to better understand who would benefit from methotrexate versus other treatment.
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Individualizing rheumatoid arthritis therapy
Oct 04, 2022There are many medications available for people with rheumatoid arthritis, so determining the ‘best’ treatment option should be based on the most current data and patient preferences. This study will develop a personalized decision tool to help patients choose the best treatment for them.
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Identifying different health care needs of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Oct 04, 2022Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes pain and inflammation of the joints – however, RA can affect people in different ways. This study will investigate a more holistic approach and look at biopsychosocial’ factors, such as disease severity and work and home responsibilities.
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Understanding the care of people with rheumatoid arthritis
Dec 13, 2021Family physicians play a key role in the management of rheumatoid arthritis and are often a patient’s first contact with the healthcare system. However, the management of this type of arthritis by family physicians across Canada is not known. This research will result in a national description of healthcare provided by physicians and identify and address gaps in primary care.
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Testing an online program for managing insomnia in arthritis
Jun 29, 2021Up to 70% of persons with arthritis report sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or waking up early in the morning. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia is considered first-line treatment. We will evaluate whether CBTi is an effective treatment for arthritis patients suffering with insomnia to fill an important gap in rheumatoid arthritis care.
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How safe and immunogenic is the Moderna vaccine in people with rheumatic diseases?
Jun 23, 2021This study is evaluating the safety and effectiveness of two doses of a mRNA-based SARS-CoV2 vaccine (Moderna) in people with a rheumatic disease. Individuals with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus have impaired immune responses. Therefore, it is important to determine the effectiveness of this vaccine and whether it can cause a flare up of symptoms.
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Choosing a Treatment Plan Based on Current Research AND Patient Preference
Jun 17, 2021Rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease are chronic conditions that affect people of all ages. Choosing the best treatment for patients requires an understanding of what is important to people living with these conditions. We will conduct multiple studies to understand how to make treatment decisions that take patient preference into account.
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Understanding the Origins of Inflammation in Those with Rheumatoid Arthritis May Lead to New Treatments
Jan 13, 2021Despite current treatment options, some people with rheumatoid arthritis have ongoing inflammation. Those patients would benefit from new treatment approaches. This research seeks to understand the mechanisms that drive inflammation in RA to develop new treatments for people living with the disease.
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Developing a Patient Survey to Measure Quality of Care for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Oct 08, 2020This research will improve existing quality of care measures for rheumatoid arthritis by including the patient’s view. The Patient Survey will obtain information on quality of care from the patient input. The survey will look at whether patients have received counselling for smoking cessation, exercise, and lifestyle issues. Existing surveys have not included that information and it is difficult to…
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Making it Work: Helping People with Inflammatory Forms of Arthritis at Work (Phase III)
Aug 12, 2020This research is a natural extension of our previous studies on Work Disability. This program is unique worldwide in that it combines the benefits of video conferencing group sessions focused on improving self-management, with assessments by health professionals specifically addressing employment. The web-based technology for delivery of the program is at the leading edge of trends in the field of…
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Assessing the Cost of Switching from Biologic Drugs to Biosimilars in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in British Columbia (BC)
Jul 23, 2020Biologic drugs are effective treatments for patients with RA, but their high costs take up a large part of British Columbia’s (BC) health care budget. As many biologic drugs are coming to the end of their patent, it is possible to make equivalent drugs called biosimilars for a much lesser cost. That would result in a cost saving of millions…
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Mental health matters for people with arthritis
Jun 22, 2020The goal of this research is to study mental health in those with arthritis. Despite the complex relationship between arthritis and psychiatric conditions, it is an understudied issue. This will be the first study of its kind in Canada on mental health in people with arthritis. It will improve awareness of the how having arthritis affects mental health and how…
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Improving screening and prevention of chronic conditions due to inflammation in people living with inflammatory arthritis.
Jun 19, 2020People living with inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis or lupus) are more likely than the average person to develop other chronic conditions related to inflammation. Studies show that people with inflammatory arthritis are not getting the recommended screening and management for the risk factors of these chronic conditions when they visit their family physicians. In…
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Matching arthritis care to patients’ needs
Jun 19, 2020There is a crisis in healthcare for Canadians living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Due to a shortage of rheumatologists in Canada, many people with RA must wait a long time to see one. This study explores a new method of treatment by creating patient care plans that match the needs of the individual patient. The aim is to provide a…
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OPERAS Health Tracking: Tracking rheumatoid arthritis symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic
Jun 01, 2020OPERAS (On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management) is an easy to use web/mobile app designed for people with RA to track their health. This app helps people to “see” how their symptoms and physical activity levels change over time, together with the treatment they use. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this information can be helpful for people with RA to plan…
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Understanding how quality of care affects rheumatoid arthritis outcomes
Feb 04, 2020The Arthritis Alliance of Canada (AAC) developed a national set of performance indicators to measure whether patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis are getting timely care and treated appropriately. Testing of these measures across Canada found gaps in care including long waiting times for rheumatology consultations, and inconsistent follow-up care. It's unknown why these gaps occur and what they mean for patients…
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Patient Decision Aids – Using them to Optimize Early Treatment in those with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sep 01, 2019In this study, a previously developed and tested decision aid will be used to help patients who are newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis to make decisions about treatments, with the focus of understanding how best to use this tool in the clinic.
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Improving strength training in people with rheumatoid arthritis
Aug 24, 2019Strong muscles are important for people with rheumatoid arthritis, but only up to 14 per cent of people with the disease regularly do strength training exercises. The I START (Improving Strength Training and Tailoring among people with Rheumatoid ARThritis) project seeks to find out what helps people with RA to take up strength training and improve their health.
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An 18 month trial of reducing medications in patients with stable rheumatoid arthritis
Apr 01, 2018This study aims to provide real-world data on a patient-centered approach to treatment reduction for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
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New method to improve quality of care for rheumatoid arthritis: The balanced scorecard
Jan 17, 2018The quality of care for inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients is not routinely monitored in Canada, so any variations in care could lead to poorer patient outcomes. We will test a ‘report card’ approach, which represents multiple viewpoints (patients, healthcare providers, and policy makers) and identifies opportunities for improvement.
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Active self-management of rheumatoid arthritis using a fitness tracker
Dec 15, 2017This project will investigate whether an online intervention app can improve a patient’s ability to manage his or her rheumatoid arthritis. The “On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management” (OPERAS) links to a Fitbit Flex and combines disease activity monitoring and physical activity counselling.
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Hip Fractures and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Jul 05, 2017People living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at a greater risk for hip fractures, but few studies have looked at whether the burden of hip fracture is greater in RA patients than in patients without the disease. This study examines BC’s population group with RA, while also estimating mortality rates and identifying factors that predict the survival of RA patients…
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Providing appropriate rheumatoid arthritis care to First Nations populations
Mar 17, 2017The occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis in Indigenous populations is three times higher than the general population, and often more severe. This study looks at the delivery of culturally appropriate treatment to help eliminate gaps in health care to meet the needs of Indigenous patients.
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Care for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in BC: The Impact of Care Gaps
Aug 29, 2011This study will evaluate how variations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment and gaps in health care affect physical function, risk of work loss, and premature death. The results will help educate policy-makers and clinicians, and empower patients to make informed decisions about health care services.
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