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  • What We're Working On
Identifying different health care needs of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
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Scientific Study Title:
Psychometric evaluation of a measure of care complexity in rheumatoid arthritis.
Start Date:
  • 2022
End Date:
  • 2025
Research Category
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Why do this research?

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic condition causing joint pain and swelling and is a leading cause of disability. Other than joints, inflammation from RA can affect people in different ways. People with RA may experience higher rates of anxiety, depression and lung disease.

People living with the same chronic health conditions may have very different needs. A more holistic approach for the individual looks at the ‘biopsychosocial’ factors, such as: disease severity; work and home responsibilities; ability to communicate needs, and ability to access health care. Current health care only looks at the condition and may not necessarily look at all these ‘biopsychosocial’ factors that may affect health care needs of the individual.

What will be done?

This study will modify an existing tool, the ‘INTERMED Self-Assessment’ (IMSA) tool for individuals with RA. We will determine if this tool is better at identifying a more holistic approach to health care for the individual needs of patients.

The Research Team

Principal Investigator

  • Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
  • Trafford Crump – PhD, Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, Associate Director of the Center for Clinical Effectiveness Research at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery at the Cumming School of Medicine

Co-investigators

  • Cheryl Barnabe, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
  • Erika Dempsey
  • Glen Hazlewood, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
  • Alison Hoens , BScPT, MSc, Knowledge Broker, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
  • Steven Katz
  • Jacek Kopec, MD, MSc, PhD, Senior Scientist Emeritus, Epidemiology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
  • Diane Lacaille, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC, Scientific Director, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
  • Paul MacMullan
  • Dianne Mosher
  • James Rankin
  • Jason Sutherland
  • Karen Then

How Can People Get Involved?

Our study team will interview people with RA and various rheumatology healthcare providers (e.g., rheumatologists, nurses, pharmacists, etc.). We will ask them to share their thoughts about the IMSA tool and see if the tool is understandable and relevant. Changes will be made to the IMSA tool based on the feedback we receive. We will further test the revised survey to make sure it measures patient needs accurately and reliably.

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