Name
Poster 84 - Adding an Interdisciplinary Structured Self-Management Program to a Treat-to-Target Strategy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Date & Time
Friday, October 9, 2026, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location Name
Grand Foyer (4th Floor)
Description

This pilot study investigated whether adding a structured Self-Management Program (SMP) to standard treat-to-target (T2T) therapy could improve outcomes for adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA patients (n = 20) were randomized to either SMP plus T2T or T2T alone for six months. The SMP included monthly virtual sessions focusing on exercise, RA education, pain, fatigue, stress management, communication, and nutrition. While both groups showed improvements in disease activity and patient global assessment , the SMP + T2T group demonstrated numerically greater improvements in these metrics and the ability to achieve low disease activity and remission. The study concluded that integrating a multidisciplinary SMP into RA's T2T strategy can enhance patient global assessment and improve the likelihood of achieving low disease activity and remission.

Speakers
Andrea Garroway, PhD
Co-Authors
(1) Anima Ghimire DO, Rheumatology Fellow Year 2, University of Rochester Medicine
(2) Marsha Jackson RN, Nurse Coordinator, University of Rochester Medicine
(3) Allen Anandarajah MD, Division Chief of Division of Rheumatology, Indiana University Health
Tags
Self-care/Self-management, Team-based care
Session Type
Poster
Understand the influence of non-inflammatory symptoms on disease activity measures in RA, highlighting the need for comprehensive assessment
Recognize the benefits of a Self-Management Program (SMP) in conjunction with treat-to-target (T2T) strategies in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Understand the value of a multidisciplinary approach and practical strategies offered by SMPs.

Ferreira RJO, Duarte C, Ndosi M, de Wit M, Gossec L, da Silva JAP. Suppressing Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Does Patient Global Assessment Blur the Target? A Practice-Based Call for a Paradigm Change. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(3):369-378. doi:10.1002/acr.23284

Hammond, A. (1998). The use of self-management strategies by people with rheumatoid arthritis. Clinical rehabilitation, 12(1), 81-87.

Manning, V. L., Hurley, M. V., Scott, D. L., Coker, B., Choy, E., & Bearne, L. M. (2014). Education, self‐management, and upper extremity exercise training in people with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis care & research, 66(2), 217-227.