Nursing intervention in self-management for women with rheumatoid arthritis: a pragmatic randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that negatively impacts the health and well-being of those who suffer from it. Learning to live with the disease requires individuals to develop positive management strategies, making the development of self management behaviors crucial. METHOD: We developed a pragmatic, two-arm randomized clinical trial with pre- and post intervention measures to evaluate the effect of the CDSMP program on increasing self-efficacy, self-management, and health-related quality of life in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are treated at a rheumatology outpatient clinic in a health institution in Bogotá, Colombia, compared to usual care. RESULTS: The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were described, and health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and self-management behaviors were measured using the QOLRA-II, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, and Chronic Disease Self Management Scale, respectively. Measurements for the intervention group were taken before and after the program's implementation. For the control group, an initial measurement was taken, followed by another measurement after six weeks. DISCUSSION: Implementing the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) positively affects self-management, self-efficacy, and health-related quality of life in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who receive outpatient treatment at a health institution in Bogotá, compared to usual care.