Local rheumatoid arthritis patients to be recruited onto Chertsey research study
More than 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who live in Chertsey and the surrounding area, are being recruited to take part in a study aimed at improving ways in which the disease is managed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an incurable condition which affects more than 350,000 people, mainly women, in the UK, causing joint destruction, pain and disability.
Rheumatology nurse practitioner Maggie Carr at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey has been awarded a one-year grant of £23,473 from medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign to carry out the work.
She will test the theory that some people with rheumatoid arthritis have very different ideas from their partners about what caused their arthritis, and what can then be done about it. Some people might have poor support from their partners, and increased difficulty in coping.
"A number of published studies have shown that support from their partner is very important in helping people cope with RA," explained Mrs Carr. " What people think caused their arthritis and what they think about how it can be treated affects whether or not they take their medication, ask for help from their GP or hospital doctor or change their lifestyle."
Patients who regularly attend rheumatology outpatient clinics at St Peter's Hospital, and their partners, are now being recruited onto the study, and will be required to fill in a number of questionnaires.
"We believe that this study will result in further insight into how the treatment and outcome of RA is influenced by the beliefs and supports of partners," added Mrs Carr.
"The results could have important implications for the management of RA which may mean involving patients' partners more, and will enable us to target our educational material more effectively."
