Supported self-management improves attainment of urate targets in people with gout, research suggests.

A nurse-led education intervention may improve safety competency among people initiating biologics for spondyloarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, French study findings indicate.

Kim Bennell (The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) and co-investigators explain that the exercise program included six videoconference sessions with a physiotherapist, during which participants were given self-management advice and behavioral counseling.

Nikiphorou and colleagues say that their guidance is centered around “empowering patients to become active partners of the team and to take a more proactive role,” and highlights the importance of education and self-management interventions including goal setting, problem solving, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Its use was accompanied by automated behavior-change text messages encouraging exercise adherence and was compared with that of a control “My Knee Education” website that had the same educational information but without references to the specific strengthening exercise regimen and physical activity guidance.

When the team looked for predictors of target attainment, they found that alcohol consumption, belief that medications are overused, and self-efficacy for symptoms, as an indicator for coping, were all significantly associated with outcome after adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education level, disease duration, BMI, comorbidity, and baseline sUA.

Patients with axial spondyloarthritis are likely to derive short-term benefits from a nurse-led education program focused on self-management and self-assessment of disease activity, COMEDSPA trial results suggest.

A smartphone-based pain self-management program – iCanCope with Pain   – warrants further investigation in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis following a successful pilot trial, researchers report.

Research indicates that a home-based, self-management program that promotes easy hand exercises and gives direction on moisturizing and warming effectively reduces pain and improves function in the hands of patients with systemic sclerosis.

By comparison, the 284 patients recruited during the intervention period who were treated according to the SAMBA model recorded a 39% pass rate at baseline which increased to 60% at 6 months, with the improvement mainly due to increased reports of patient education about the disease and treatment alternatives, self-management, and exercise.

Sangeeta Sule outlines the challenges of transitioning from pediatric to adult rheumatology care, highlights key resources to support families and healthcare providers, and provides tips on managing the transition process.

Fields TR. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 2019; 45: 145–157. doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2018.09.009

Editorial Board member Sangeeta Sule discusses a trial of an online self-management tool for adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and the role of technology and education to manage the condition.

Skou ST, Bricca A, Roos EM. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2018. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2018.07.010

EULAR has issued updated recommendations for the management of hand osteoarthritis based on current evidence and expert opinion.

Nurse-led care involving patient education and engagement increases the likelihood of achieving target serum urate levels among individuals with gout, findings from a UK randomized controlled trial suggest.

Results of a randomized controlled trial suggest that an internet-based self-management program is no more beneficial than an educational book for patients with systemic sclerosis.

The overarching aim of nursing was to promote self-management and help patients cope with their chronic disease.

Editorial Board member Fernando Pérez-Ruiz analyzes recent audits on the management of gout in primary and secondary care, and suggests strategies to improve clinical practice.