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  • What We've Learned
Need help making a decision about rheumatoid arthritis treatment? Introducing ANSWER-2!
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Why did we do this research?

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) typically begin taking one or more drugs when they are first diagnosed. If symptoms do not improve, doctors may recommend a type of medication called a biologic. Often, the decision to start a biologic is not an easy one for people with RA, given that there are side effects, high costs and different ways of taking the drugs (e.g. by injection, as a pill) to consider.

In a previous study, we learned that the ANSWER decision aid was able to significantly reduce people's uncertainty in deciding whether or not to use methotrexate (the most commonly used RA drug). In this project, we will develop ANSWER-2, a decision aid for people who are considering biologics. Once the tool is developed, we will test whether ANSWER-2 is able to improve people's experiences of making this treatment decision.

What did we do?

A decision aid is designed to help patients choosing between treatment options based on the best information available from research and their own preferences. We will develop the ANSWER-2 decision aid to include patient stories that highlight best evidence on the benefits and risks of biologics for RA treatment, as well as everyday factors that may affect a person’s decision to begin a biologic. Next, we will recruit 15 people with RA to test whether the decision aid is user-friendly. Finally, we will recruit 55 people with RA who are considering or reconsidering a biologic. These participants will use the decision aid and fill out questionnaires. One month later, we will interview these 55 participants about their experiences of using ANSWER-2 and their subsequent discussion with their doctors about their preferred treatment option.

The Research Team

Principal Investigator

  • Linda Li, BSc(PT), MSc, PhD, FCAHS, Senior Scientist, Implementation Science, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)

Co-investigators

  • Nick Bansback, MSc, PhD, Research Scientist, Health
  • Economics, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
  • Anne Townsend, MA, PhD, Affiliate Scientist, Bioethics, Arthritis Research Canada (Lancaster University)
  • Diane Lacaille, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC, Scientific Director, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
  • Allyson Jones, PT, PhD, Affiliate Scientist, Rehabilitation Sciences, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Alberta)
  • Chris Shaw – Associate Professor, School of Interactive Arts & Technology, (Simon Fraser University)
  • Paul Adam – Rheumatology Liaison and Outreach Services Coordinator, Mary Pack Arthritis Centre
  • Sydney Lineker – Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Rehabilitation Science, (McMaster University)
  • Elaine Yacyshyn – Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology, (University of Alberta)

Research Staff

  • Jasmina Memetovic, Research Coordinator, ARC
  • Joanna Ye, Research Assistant, ARC
  • Jenny Leese , MA, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Arthritis Research Canada Trainee (University of British Columbia)

Collaborators

  • Martina Franchi – Health & Benefits Consultant, Mercer
  • Alison Hoens , BScPT, MSc, Knowledge Broker, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)

Who Funded This Research?

This project is funded by a 12-month grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

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