Tight Control of Disease Activity Among Patients With RA Based on a Systematic Telemedicine Treatment Strategy

Summary

The study aims to investigate the effect a systematic telemedicine intervention, based on the tigth control principals, as a platform for disease monitoring among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

It is hypothesized that:

* A systematic telemedicine intervention targeted to tight control of disease activity among patients with RA will be equally effective as usual care (outpatient consultation by a rheumatologist).
* There will be no difference in the effect whether this telemedicine consultation is carried out by a rheumatologist or a rheumatology nurse.
* Patient satisfaction and the patient's general perception of involvement in their treatment will be increased for patients who receive the telemedicine intervention.
* All the effects will apply both in the short term (\< 6 months) and in the long term (\> 1 year).

Conditions

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Disease control, Telemedicine, doctor

Control of disease activity by a telemedicine consultation carried out by a doctor. The telemedicine consultation will be based on a telephone consultation, following a predefined consultation checklist. Patients who have expressed a desire to complete questionnaires in webform, will receive a letter a week before the consultation to remind them that they must assess their disease activity through the software interphase, within the next couple of days. Patients, who have expressed a wish to fill in questionnaires in paperform, will receive the questionnaire a week before the consultation. During telephone consultation, updated clinical test results will be available through the electronic medical system.

BEHAVIORAL

Disease control, Telemedicine, nurse

Control of disease activity by a telemedicine consultation carried out by a nurse. The telemedicine consultation will be based on a telephone consultation, following a predefined consultation checklist. Patients who have expressed a desire to complete questionnaires in webform, will receive a letter a week before the consultation to remind them that they must assess their disease activity through the software interphase, within the next couple of days. Patients, who have expressed a wish to fill in questionnaires in paperform, will receive the questionnaire a week before the consultation. During telephone consultation, updated clinical test results will be available through the electronic medical system.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Aarhus

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Annette de Thurah, MPH, Ph.D · Department of Rheumatology, Aarhus University Hospital

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

SINGLE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-05-31

Primary Completion

2014-05-31

Completion

2015-07-31

Countries

• Denmark

Study Locations