Data From Largest Global RA Patient Survey Reveals Patients Value A Disease Management Plan
-- On World Arthritis Day, RA: Join the Fight Offers New Tool to Empower RA Patients
NORTH CHICAGO, Illinois, Oct. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Data from the largest global rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient survey revealed nearly half (44 percent) of RA patients do not have a disease management plan and as many (45 percent) feel their disease is only being managed fairly or poorly. To address these findings, RA: Join the Fight is launching a patient-physician discussion guide in conjunction with World Arthritis Day on October 12 to empower patients to work with their doctors to create disease management plans tailored to their individual needs and personal goals. RA: Join the Fight is an AbbVie global initiative that provides resources and education to people impacted by RA.
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"A disease management plan serves as an individual roadmap that enables doctors to tailor their strategy for managing a patient's RA based on both clinical and personal goals," said Roger Levy, Adjunct Professor of Rheumatology, The State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "RA: Join the Fight encourages RA patients from around the world to work with their doctors to create personalized disease management plans."
RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect many aspects of patients' lives. The anonymous global patient survey, that included 10,171 patients from 42 countries, found that RA patients value having a disease management plan. Compared to those who do not have a disease management plan, patients who do were more likely to describe their RA management as excellent/good (65 percent vs. 40 percent).
Additionally, those who do have a disease management plan were more likely than those who do not to report strong relationships with their physicians, agreeing with the statements that they trust their doctor's recommendations regarding their disease management plan (94 percent vs. 78 percent), and they work with their doctor as a team to develop it (90 percent vs. 57 percent).
"Self-advocacy is an important part of developing a disease management plan that will help you and your doctor identify and work toward personalized goals," said Dawn Richards, an RA patient and RA: Join the Fight advisory committee member from Canada. "This new resource, created in collaboration with RA advocates and doctors from around the world, will help people with RA have robust conversations that inform the creation of disease management plans."
The survey also found that having a disease management plan can impact one's outlook. Patients with a disease management plan were nearly twice as likely to feel hopeful (39 percent vs. 23 percent) and confident (31 percent vs. 16 percent) as those who do not have a plan when asked how they felt about living with their RA over the past week.
About RA: Join the Fight
RA: Join the Fight, an AbbVie global initiative, aims to be a global source of information to help educate people living with RA and those who support them. RA: Join the Fight, endorsed by more than 40 advocacy organizations from around the world, is a collaborative global effort, with expert partners – patients, physicians, nurses and researchers – involved in the development and implementation of the initiative's resources and programs.
The RA: Join the Fight anonymous global RA patient survey was conducted by Harris Interactive in 42 countries via paper (six countries) and online (36 countries) between February 14 and April 11, 2013. The survey evaluated results from more than 10,000 adults with RA from around the world (n=10,171). Survey respondents have been living with a diagnosis of RA for an average of nine years, and were more likely to be women than men (74 percent vs. 26 percent), with a mean age of 49.8 years old. Complete survey methodology, including sample size per country, is available upon request.
The RA: Join the Fight global advisory committee along with more than 40 patient and medical organizations from around the world issued a call-to-action in June of this year for patients to have robust conversations with their physicians about their disease management plans. Since then, more than 1,000 patients from 45 countries have pledged to start the conversation and collaborate with their doctor to develop a plan to manage their disease. Visit www.RAJointheFight.com to learn more.
About the Discussion Guide
The RA: Join the Fight patient/physician discussion guide was developed in partnership with the same multinational, multidisciplinary expert panel that launched the initiative in June 2013.
It suggests questions and topics in three categories: physical, physiological and proactive. The physical category focuses on how a patient is managing their symptoms and it also supports a strong understanding of RA disease progression. The physiological category includes social interactions at home and work and offers prompts for discussing items such as nutrition, exercise and additional support services that may be appropriate for an RA patient. The proactive category features idea starters for short and long-term goal setting and includes topics such as beginning or returning to a hobby, advancing or changing one's career, participating in recreational or competitive exercise and beginning a family.
The RA: Join the Fight discussion guide is now available for easy download and printing at www.RAJointheFight.com/discussion-guide. Additional language versions will become available in the coming months.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks healthy joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness and over time, loss of function in the joints, as well as overall fatigue and weakness.1,2,3 RA may also cause premature mortality, disability and compromised quality of life.4 The onset of RA usually occurs in people between the ages of 25 and 55 years old, though it can occur at virtually any age.1,2 Typically, RA affects women more than men, with three times as many women suffering from the disease.2,5 Many people living with RA have difficulty performing common everyday tasks, like opening a jar or turning a doorknob.3
About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. In 2013, AbbVie employs approximately 21,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.
References:
1. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/rheumatoidarthritis.html. Accessed 9/3/13
2. National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000431.htm. Accessed 9/3/13
3. Arthritis Foundation. How Will Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect You? http://www.arthritistoday.org/about-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/rheumatoid-arthritis/what-to-expect/rheumatoid-arthritis-diagnosis.php. Accessed 9/3/13
4. Brooks PM. The burden of musculoskeletal disease--a global perspective. Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Nov;25(6):778-81.
5. American College of Rheumatology. Rheumatoid Arthritis Fact Sheet. http://www.rheumatology.org/Practice/Clinical/Patients/Diseases_And_Conditions/Rheumatoid_Arthritis/. Accessed 9/3/13
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