Supporting Patient care with Electronic Resource (SuPER): Effectiveness of an online decision aid for patients considering biologic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis

The proposed project aims to improve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) care by advancing the process of making informed treatment decisions for biologics by RA patients with a shared decision making approach through the use of online patient decision aids.Patients who have used decision aids are more knowledgeable in general about the treatment (through eucation about the evidence and potential preference factors associated with available options), have more realistic expectations,and feel less conflicted with their decisions. Furthermore,decision aid use can lead to decisions that are‘ right for them ’and could eventually lead to improved medication adherence and RA outcome.  The purpose of the Supporting Patient Care with Electronic Resources in the UnitedStates (SuPERUS) project is two fold.First, we will evaluate the efficacy of an adapted version of the Animated, Self serve, Web based Research tool (ANSWER)2 decision aid for biologics (developed by our Canadian Collaborators) among RA patients in the US(called the US ANSWER 2 decision aid)in a randomized controlled trial(RCT).

Second,we will develop a nim plementation strategy for USANSWER2 through a collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation, as well as rheumatologist and patient communities. Central to this research is engaging RA patients (i.e, our target population) throughout the research process (from the initial planning and data collection steps to the interpretation and dissemination of findings)to fully take into account the spectrum of consumer value sensitive information. Our anticipated findings and final decision aid tool can be readily disseminated and implemented in different settings and facilities with various levels of resources.