Arthritis

Current Projects Mail Delivered Self Management

Development and Evaluation of a Mail Delivered Self-Management Education Program for People with Arthritis

Funding Number

S3493-23/23

Project Description

Appropriate self management is essential for a person with arthritis to maintain optimal quality of life, yet only a few evidence-based self-management education programs exist, and none of the currently available programs are designed for self study. The purpose of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate an individual arthritis self-management education program that can be delivered by the US Mail, which individual with arthritis can use to enhance their self-management skills through self-study. If effective, this program will expand the options available for Americans with arthritis to enhance their arthritis self management.

Project Objectives

Develop self study curriculum and materials for individuals to enhance their self-management skills.
Test this new self-study program among 900 individuals with arthritis (Caucasian, African American, and Spanish speaking).
Provide guidance on how state arthritis programs can disseminate this self-study arthritis self-management education program.

Key Findings

This mail-delivered educational toolkit produced improvements in pain, fatigue, disability, health distress, role function, depression, and self efficacy to deal with the consequences of arthritis, four months after receiving the toolkit.
The changes in health status and self efficacy are similar to those achieved in the small group and internet based arthritis self management programs.
There were few differences by ethnicity: African Americans had less improvements in role limitation than did the overall sample, and African Americans and Hispanics had less improvement in depression.

Abstracts, Publications, Presentations

Goeppinger J, Lorig KR, RitterPL, Mutatkar S, Villa F, Gizlice Z.. The Mail Delivered Arthritis Self-Management Tool Kit: A Randomized Trial and Longitudinal Follow-up. Submitted for publication.

Lorig KR, Goeppinger J, Lum C, Ritter P, Mutakar S. Is the Mail -Delivered Arthritis Self management Program effectie? A Randomized 4 Month Study. Arthritis and Rheumatism 2007; 56 9:S309 (abstract).