Comorbidity Management in Rheumatic Disease.
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Primary Care Rheumatology Family Physician Consultation.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Comorbidities and Coexisting Conditions. Basic parameters: 18 years — 80 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Canada
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Comorbidity Management in Rheumatic Disease: Assessing a Potential Care Gap in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Overview
Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease where the immune system attacks the body by mistake, causing inflammation of the joints and other body parts. People with rheumatoid arthritis are at higher risk of infections, heart problems, and bone issues compared to others. They regularly see rheumatologists, arthritis care physicians, to manage their disease. However, managing these other health problems alongside their main treatment is difficult for rheumatologists due to limited resources. This clinical study is being conducted to see if adding a family doctor to a team of rheumatologists can help. Rheumatologists will complete a case report form about the patient's health and send them to a special family physician clinic. This clinic will focus on improving vaccination against diseases, heart health, and bone strength. They will check if patients need special vaccines to protect them from infections. They will screen for heart disease using blood pressure measurements, and order blood work for high cholesterol and diabetes if needed. They will also review bone health and send people for tests to check their bone density if needed. A change in routines and medications may be recommended after their checkup. Rheumatologists will complete another case report about the patient's health 6 months after their family doctor appointment. The study will assess how these markers of health management improve after this family doctor joins the team. It hopes to prove that this new way of working in the community will give people with rheumatoid arthritis better protection against certain infections, heart problems and weak bones.
Interventions
- Other Primary Care Rheumatology Family Physician Consultation
The participant will be booked with a primary care rheumatology family physician for rheumatoid arthritis comorbidity screening. They will complete weight, height, blood pressure measurement, assess for risk factors for dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, bone mineral density loss and vaccine preventable infectious diseases.
Primary outcome measures
- Care Gap: Pneumococcal vaccination [Time frame: 6 months]
- Care Gap: Cardiovascular screening [Time frame: 6 months]
- Care Gap: Osteoporosis screening [Time frame: 6 months]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Care Gap: vaccine-preventable diseases (herpes zoster, influenza and COVID-19) [Time frame: 6 months]
- Care Gap: Comorbidity treatment with medication [Time frame: 6 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Patients of the Waterloo Rheumatology Community Clinic
- Aged 18 to 80 years of age
- Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis
- Minimum of limited working proficiency in English
- No significant cognitive impairment that can inhibit their ability to engage in the study
Exclusion criteria
- Age less than 18 years or greater than 80 years
- Significant cognitive impairment that impedes ability to engage in the study
- Unwilling to participate in the study
- Patients currently pregnant will be excluded from the study
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Canada · 1 center
- Waterloo Rheumatology — Waterloo
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06579222 · 125677