What We're Working On

Evaluating a Decision Aid for Tapering Biologic Medications in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Scientific Study Title:

A randomized trial of a Decision-Aid for Tapering Advanced therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis (DATA-RA)

Start Date:

2025

End Date:

2029

Research Category

Treatments and Medications

Why do this research?

Reason For Research

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic condition that can vary greatly from person to person, so treatment needs to be personalized. Some patients may be doing well on their medications, and for these individuals, reducing medication doses (called ‘tapering’) could be a safe and beneficial option. However, these decisions aren’t always straightforward, but tools like decision-aids can help.

The goal of this study is to provide a way to help patients and doctors engage in shared decision-making for managing rheumatoid arthritis. By making sure patients understand the risks and benefits of tapering their medications, this research will support a more patient-centered approach, where patients can make decisions together with their doctors, and decisions can align with the patient’s values, preferences, and quality of life.

What will be done?

Execution of Research

This study will evaluate the impact of a decision aid tool designed to help people with rheumatoid arthritis and their healthcare providers make informed decisions about tapering their medication.

People with rheumatoid arthritis who are currently taking biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and are doing well on their medication will be invited to participate. Participants will be divided into two groups: one group will receive the decision aid, and the other will not. The goal will be to see if the tool helps people talk more with their doctors about tapering their medications and whether it leads to better decisions about treatment. The research team will follow participants for 1 year to see how these decisions affect their health and overall care.

How are equity, diversity and inclusion addressed?

Patient preferences for tapering vary widely and this is shaped by peoples’ life experiences. By offering tapering to all patients in the context of a shared decision, the decision can be tailored to each individual person, in discussion with their rheumatologist.

How Can People Get Involved?

Involvement

The team includes rheumatologists, researchers and patients from across Canada, in multiple provinces.

Nominated Principal Applicant: Hazlewood, Glen

Principal Applicants: Wells, George

Co-applicants: Banfield, Jillian; Bansback, Nick; Barber, Claire; Barnabe, Cheryl; Charlton, Alex; Colmegna, Ines; Kamso, Mohammed; Katz, Steven; Lacaille, Diane; Pope, Janet; Proulx, Laurie; Sajobi, Tolu

The Research Team:

Principal Investigators:

Glen Hazlewood, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)

George Wells, MSc, PhD, (University of Ottawa)

Co-investigators:

Jillian Banfield, PhD, (CIHR Institute of Genetics)

Nick Bansback, MSc, PhD, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)

Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)

Cheryl Barnabe, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Senior Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)

Alexandra Charlton, BSc Pharm, Pharm D, (University of Calgary)

Ines Colmegna, MD, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (McGill University)

Mohammed Mujab Kamso, PhD, (University of Ottawa)

Steven Katz, MD, (University of Alberta)

Diane Lacaille, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC, Scientific Director, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)

Janet E Pope, MD, MPH, FRCPC, (Western University)

Laurie Proulx (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance)

Tolulope Sajobi, PhD, (University of Calgary)

How will/have patients contribute(d) to this research?

Patients have been involved in the development of the guidelines and decision aid and will be involved throughout the study to help shape its design and interpretation of the results.

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