Evaluating a Decision Aid for Tapering Biologic Medications in Rheumatoid Arthritis

What We're Working On

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

Ready to Participate?

Want to participate in this study? Learn more here.

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.

Methodology

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.

Who is 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

How are Equity, Diversity and Inclusion addressed or taken into consideration?

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 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.