Self-monitoring combined with patient-initiated care in RA patients with low disease activity: cost-effectiveness analysis of an RCT.

Objectives: Self-monitoring and patient-initiated care (PIC) leads to fewer outpatient clinic visits in patients with established RA with low disease activity (LDA) while healthcare outcomes are similar. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of PIC with self-monitoring.

Methods: A 12-month randomized controlled trial was performed with 49 patients in the PIC with self-monitoring group (app-group) and 53 in usual care.

Predictors for response to electronic patient-reported outcomes in routine care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective cohort study.

Routine collection of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) can improve clinical care. However, a low response rate may counteract the benefits. To optimize adoption, the aim of this study was to investigate which patient factors and/or timing of the invitation predicted response to ePROs sent prior to consultations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Facilitators and barriers to adhere to monitoring disease activity with ePROs: a focus group study in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Telemonitoring disease activity with electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) may reduce the workload of rheumatic care by decreasing outpatient clinic visits. However, low adherence to reporting ePROs is frequently observed. Our objective was to identify facilitators and barriers to weekly monitoring of disease activity with ePROs.

Probability of Medication Intensifications in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients With Low Disease Activity Scores on Their Patient-Reported Outcomes: A Medical-Records Review Study.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis require frequent consultations to monitor disease activity and intensify medication when treatment targets are not met. However, because most patients are in remission during follow-up, it should be possible to reduce the number of consultations for them. Electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) could be used to identify patients who meet their treatment goal and who could therefore be eligible to skip their visit.

Smartphone-Assisted Patient-Initiated Care Versus Usual Care in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Low Disease Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: We developed a smartphone application for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that allows them to self-monitor their disease activity in between clinic visits by answering a weekly Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3. This study was undertaken to assess the safety (noninferiority in the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR]) and efficacy (reduction in number of visits) of patient-initiated care assisted using a smartphone app, compared to usual care.

Methods: A 12-month, randomized, noninferiority clinical trial was conducted in RA patients with low disease activity and without treatment changes in the past 6 months.

Adherence to Telemonitoring by Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients with Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review.

Effective telemonitoring is possible through repetitive collection of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in patients with chronic diseases. Low adherence to telemonitoring may have a negative impact on the effectiveness, but it is unknown which factors are associated with adherence to telemonitoring by ePROMs. The objective was to identify factors associated with adherence to telemonitoring by ePROMs in patients with chronic diseases.

How to enhance recruitment of individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis into trials aimed at prevention: understanding the barriers and facilitators.

Objectives: Several trials to test the efficacy of a pharmacological intervention aimed at primary prevention of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are ongoing or have recently been completed. A common issue in these trials is the severe difficulty with patient recruitment. In order to enhance recruitment, this qualitative study identified barriers and facilitators of individuals at risk of RA to participate in a prevention trial.

Asynchronous mHealth Interventions in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systematic Scoping Review.

Background: Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have surged in popularity in recent years, generating numerous possibilities for their use in health care as mobile health (mHealth) tools. One advantage of mHealth is that it can be provided asynchronously, signifying that health care providers and patients are not communicating in real time. The integration of asynchronous mHealth into daily clinical practice might therefore help to make health care more efficient for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Development of a SARS-CoV-2 Total Antibody Assay and the Dynamics of Antibody Response over Time in Hospitalized and Nonhospitalized Patients with COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 infections often cause only mild disease that may evoke relatively low Ab titers compared with patients admitted to hospitals. Generally, total Ab bridging assays combine good sensitivity with high specificity. Therefore, we developed sensitive total Ab bridging assays for detection of SARS-CoV-2 Abs to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid protein in addition to conventional isotype-specific assays.

Feasibility of Self-Monitoring Rheumatoid Arthritis With a Smartphone App: Results of Two Mixed-Methods Pilot Studies.

Background: Several mobile apps that monitor symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) exist, but a recent systematic review indicated that high-quality apps are lacking. When patients self-monitor their own disease with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and self-initiate care at the right moment, it may be possible to reduce the frequency of their clinic visits, which would reduce health care burden and costs. We developed an app, that is, the MijnReuma Reade app, for this purpose and performed 2 pilot tests with weekly self-monitoring.

A Smartphone App for Self-Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity to Assist Patient-Initiated Care: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Telemedicine based on self-measurement of disease activity could be one of the key components to create the health care system of the future. Previous publications in various medical fields have shown that it is possible to safely telemonitor patients while reducing the number of outpatient clinic visits. For this purpose, we developed a mobile phone app for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which allows them to self-monitor their disease.

Drafting a Surgical Procedure Using a Computational Anatomy Driven Approach for Precise, Robust, and Safe Vestibular Neuroprosthesis Placement-When One Size Does Not Fit All.

Objective: To design and evaluate a new vestibular implant and surgical procedure that should reach correct electrode placement in 95% of patients in silico.

Design: Computational anatomy driven implant and surgery design study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Optimization of 3D-Visualization of Micro-Anatomical Structures of the Human Inner Ear in Osmium Tetroxide Contrast Enhanced Micro-CT Scans.

Knowledge of the neuro-anatomical architecture of the inner ear contributes to the improvement and development of cochlear and vestibular implants. The present knowledge is mainly based on two-dimensional images (histology) or derived models that simplify the complexity of this architecture. This study investigated the feasibility of visualizing relevant neuro-anatomical structures of the inner ear in a dynamic three-dimensional reproduction, using a combination of staining, micro-CT imaging and an image processing algorithm.