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Media Releases
Online Project Helps People with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Columbia, Mo. (Nov. 13, 2005) - How do you treat rheumatoid arthritis? Medication, regular visits to your doctor, lifestyle modifications and exercise. Add the Internet to that list.
Virtual communities appear to be an easy and useful tool to augment traditional approaches to treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two million people in the Untied States, according to recent research by the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (MARRTC) at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
MARRTC recently launched RAHelp.org, an online program designed to help people with rheumatoid arthritis cope with their disease. Topics of discussions include stress management, fatigue, pain, managing change.
MARRTC researchers presented their findings at the annual conference of the American College of Rheumatology, Nov. 13 through Nov. 17 in San Diego.
"The Internet approach can improve access to services, support and health professionals, by reducing geographic barriers, time, scheduling, limited physical functioning, distance from services," says Karen Smarr, Ph.D., principal investigator for MARRTC. "It has the potential to reach broader audiences in rural and underserved areas, as well as people with physical disabilities."
It might not be too early to call the Internet the gateway to the democratization of therapy. While many people with rheumatoid arthritis might not have Internet access or the comfort level with technology to enroll in an online support program, more and more people are gaining the confidence and know-how to do so, Smarr says.
RAHelp.org is designed to complement standard therapy, but not as a substitute for it.
"Self-management programs offer benefits to augment medication management and empower people to better manage and understand their rheumatoid arthritis," Smarr explains. "Effective self-management offers additional coping skills and tools to use. Perhaps patients may be able to use less medications or have fewer visits to the doctor."
In fact, several studies have found that self-management programs might reduce the need for and use of health-care services, Smarr adds.
However, people with rheumatoid arthritis who choose to enroll in the online program, are advised to keep up their visits to the doctor's office and discuss any changes to medication with their physicians.
The RAHelp.org site also encourages social interaction among participants by including discussion boards, chat rooms and messaging within the online community.
To arrange an interview with a MARRTC expert, contact Becky Woelfel, Senior Information Specialist, at (573) 882-2914 or by email at woelfelr@missouri.edu
The Missouri Arthritis Research Rehabilitation and Training Center (MARRTC) was established in 1971 at the University of Missouri-Columbia Arthritis Center. MARRTC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133B031120) and is the only federally funded arthritis rehabilitation research and training center in the country.
As part of the MU Health Communication Research Center (HCRC), MARRTC's mission is to become a national leader in the areas of disability management and communication, improve the quality of life and promote independent living among people who have arthritis and arthritic conditions. MARRTC's core message is "Disability is everyone's issue."
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