Setting Priorities to Improve Physical Activity Support for Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis

Overview 

Physical activity is an important part of self-management for rheumatoid arthritis. It helps lower pain and fatigue and improves overall health. Even though there are positive benefits of physical activity, people with rheumatoid arthritis face many challenges to becoming and staying physically active. Often, there is also not enough support for physical activity from rheumatology healthcare providers. It is important that physical activity supports are made for and by people with rheumatoid arthritis, considering their needs and preferences. This study aims to learn from rheumatology healthcare providers to identify key opportunities and challenges for supporting physical activity among their patients, with the overall aim of increasing the physical activity levels of people with rheumatoid arthritis.

What will be done?

You will participate in a special focus group called the Nominal Group Technique. Nominal Group Technique helps groups find common ground through discussion and ranking of ideas. Through the Nominal Group Technique, we will agree on the most important opportunities and challenges that rheumatology healthcare providers face when supporting their patients in becoming and staying physically active. The priorities identified during this study will inform the development of useful resources that rheumatology care teams can use to better support physical activity among their rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Participation in this study includes

There are two requirements:

1. Complete a 5-minute questionnaire to tell us a little about you and your experience working with rheumatoid arthritis patients.
2. Participate in an informal meeting to help us discuss opportunities and challenges for rheumatology care teams to promote physical activity among rheumatoid arthritis patients. The meeting will take 1-1.5 hours and occur online via Zoom. Meeting times will be scheduled according to your availability, with multiple dates/times available.

Who can participate?

You may be eligible if you are a rheumatology care provider (rheumatologist, nurse, or other member of a rheumatology care team) that cares for individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Want to find out more?

Interested in participating in this study? Please complete the consent form here.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact Manny Ester at manuel.ester@ucalgary.ca 

This study has been approved by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (REB24-0858).