POS0076-PARE DEVELOPMENT OF A SELF MANAGEMENT MODULE ON IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
Authors: A. Bosworth
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> An often insufficient aspect of care in people with inflammatory arthritis (IA) is empowering patients to acquire a good understanding of their disease and building their ability to deal with the practical, physical and psychological impacts of it. The ability to self-manage in IA represents an essential component of care that goes beyond drug therapy. Self-management is a multicomponent complex intervention. In July 2021, a EULAR Taskforce published evidence-based Recommendations for Self-Management strategies in patients with IA. Recommendation 4 states: <b>HCPs should actively promote physical activity at diagnosis and throughout the disease course.</b> One of the barriers to implementation of this recommendation is that non-physio HCPs don't always know the best way to support patients in regard to being more physically active (PA). <h3>Objectives:</h3> Many people diagnosed with RA fear that doing exercise will somehow damage their joints despite research to show that this is not the case and that in fact exercise is beneficial in IA. The SMILE module aims to address and reduce the barriers to being active. Those barriers include physical limitations,(pain, reduced mobility, fatigue), lack of confidence and knowledge, as well as fear of injury or making symptoms worse, a lack of professional input and accessible, affordable programmes/resources, and often inaccessible facilities. <h3>Methods:</h3> To address the above issues and challenges NRAS collaborated with experts in the field of PA and Exercise, Prof. George Metsios, and Consultant Physiotherapist, Will Gregory, to create a specific online module. Content was co-produced between Jan and Jun 23. The module covered in lay language, the science behind the research, the role of physiotherapists, barriers and facilitators to exercising, goal setting, types of exercise and lived experience examples. NRAS provides free self managment resources for people who may struggle with exercise due to loss of mobility or function or who may lack confidence to exercise. In addition to the module supplemental 15 min. taster video of home based exercises are provided. <h3>Results:</h3> Released in Jun, 2023 with five additonal videos on: Tai Chi Yoga Tripudio Movement Systems Movement to Music Strengthening &amp; Resistance Exercises All were adapted for people with IA and can be done very safely, seated or standing as ad hoc routines or regular daily workouts, increasing the repetitions as strength and ability increases. 4000 people are registered to SMILE and feedback shows modules have significantly increased people's ability to: Understand the importance of self-management and increased their confidence to self-manage with the right support Understand the roles within the rheumatology team Understand their disease and importance of treatment and medication 84% said they would recommend SMILE to another person. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> All HCPs are able to signpost patients to this free resource but also utilise the programme for supporting HCPs continued professional development. Rheumatology Clinical Nurse Specialists are using SMILE as a learning resource for nurses new to rheumatology amd this module can be used to support non-physio HCPs to feel more confident in how to advise patients on this topic. Will Gregory said "It will revolutionise HCPs' consults on exercise in RA." <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> <b>NIL.</b> <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>