The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) estimates that by 2030 there will be only half the rheumatologists needed to provide specialized care to adults with complex, chronicChronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last 1 year or more and require ongoing medical attention or limit activities of daily living or... inflammatoryInflammation is a normal part of the body’s defense to injury or infection, and, in this way, it is beneficial. But inflammation is damaging when... conditions like rheumatoid arthritisThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your... (RAThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your...).
Could your smartphone offer a simple solution to this workforce challenge?
Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH, a rheumatologist and researcher with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues have spent the past five years developing cutting-edge technology to improve RAThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your... patient care at their busy urban clinic.
This includes a voice-enabled smartphone app that helps educate people with RAThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your... about their disease.
With funding from the Rheumatology Research Foundation’s Innovative Research Award, Dr. Solomon and his team will now upgrade and test the app to see whether it can help improve patient appointment timeliness and mitigate the heavy volume of routine clinic visits.
The app includes a simple set of questions and answers that educate RAThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your... patients about their disease. Dr. Solomon and his team will now enhance the app and integrate it into their clinic’s electronic health record (EHR) system. The app also connects each patient to a personal EHR page that tracks appointments, symptoms, medications, test results, and disease activity levels.
In early focus-group testing, patients were enthusiastic about the app’s features.
The researchers will now conduct a clinical trial to evaluate whether the app improves patient visit timeliness. If the clinical trial’s results are successful in RAThe most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body’s immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your... patients, the app could be expanded for use by patients with other rheumatic diseases.
****
Support for this critical work is only possible through the generosity of individuals like yourself. To invest in the future of rheumatology visit https://www.rheumresearch.org/donate.