Effects of Case Management for Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis in Taiwan

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Case Management; Effectiveness; Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Registration Number: NCT06341348
• Lead Sponsor: Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital

Brief Summary

Case management (CM) has been recommended as a way of inspiring measurable changes in individual behaviors and improving clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases. However, data on its effectiveness for Taiwanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are limited. This study aimed to determine the long-term effectiveness of CM that focused on nurses' role among Taiwanese RA patients.

A quasi-experimental pre-post test, control-group study with purposive sampling recruited RA patients from a hospital in Taiwan during 2016-2017. CM program was composed of health education sessions and follow-up telephone consultations over a six-month period. A review of medical records and structured questionnaires yielded data about patient demographics and disease characteristics, and included Chinese version of the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale and the Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire. A comparison of the long-term effectiveness of the CM program was made using generalized estimating equation.

This evidence-based study may be beneficial to characterize the long-term effectiveness of CM for Taiwanese patients with RA, and may be a reference for healthcare providers in facilitating the provision of appropriate interventions to improve the adaptation processes and clinical outcomes for them.

Detailed Description

Nurse-led case management integrates a multi-component intervention comprised of health education and professional advice, as well as referral of clients to other health care team members, discussion of daily life plans, making an appointment for the next clinic, and conducting follow-up sessions by telephone.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-01-01
• Study First Submitted: 2017-03-10
• Primary Completion: 2018-06-30
• Study Completion: 2018-12-31
• Status Verified: 2024-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-03-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-03-25
• Study First Posted: 2024-04-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-04-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 96

Inclusion Criteria

• being at least 20 years old at the time of recruitment
• being able to express opinions in either Mandarin or Taiwanese, and
• having a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Exclusion Criteria

• Those having no cognitive impairment and severe complications will be excluded.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Depressive symptoms	Time 1 (T1): prior to the CM intervention; Time 2 (T2): three days after the CM completion, and Time 3 (T3): three months after CM intervention.	Assessed by Taiwanese Depression Questionnaire
Self-efficacy level	Time 1 (T1): prior to the CM intervention; Time 2 (T2): three days after the CM completion, and Time 3 (T3): three months after CM intervention.	Assessed by Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale
Sexual dysfunctionform-14	Time 1 (T1): prior to the CM intervention; Time 2 (T2): three days after the CM completion, and Time 3 (T3): three months after CM intervention.	Assessed by Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire
DAS28	Time 1 (T1): prior to the CM intervention; Time 2 (T2): three days after the CM completion, and Time 3 (T3): three months after CM intervention.	Measured by Disease Activity Score of 28