Treatment decision making in people with RA study

My name is Gill Wilson. I am a Lecturer in Nursing at the University of Hull and a former Rheumatology Specialist Nurse. I am undertaking a research PhD that aims to understand how people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) make treatment decisions.

With the advent of biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in the last two decades, the number of therapeutic options available to treat RA has significantly increased. Despite the advances in treatment, little is known about how people living with RA experience treatment decision-making.

This research aims to understand what matters to both people with RA and clinicians when deciding about treatment. Understanding what shapes decisions for people living with RA is vitally important to help rheumatology clinicians, medical organisations, and advocacy groups better support people with RA when deciding about treatment.

People living with RA are invited to take part in an anonymous online survey. The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete. There is also an option to take part in a remote one-to-one interview or an online focus group discussion. Results from the survey will then inform a second survey intended for rheumatology clinicians.

The first survey is now live and can be accessed here.

Please consider taking part if:

• You are aged 18 years or over.
• Have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Live in the UK.

Participating in the research is completely voluntary and you can withdraw at any point without giving a reason.

Further information

If you would like more details about the research, please contact me by email, ra-research@hull.ac.uk.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information.

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