Patients and nursing staff views of using the education needs assessment tool in rheumatology clinics: a qualitative study.

Aims And Objectives: To evaluate the usability of the educational needs assessment tool in clinical practice, from a practitioner and patient perspective and to establish whether patients perceive that they are getting an equally good or equally inadequate education service for their needs.

Background: The educational needs assessment tool was developed to enable patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis to assess their education needs prior to a consultation with a health professional. The educational needs assessment tool has been translated into nine languages and measurement properties have been established, however, its usability in clinical practice has not been studied.

Acupuncture and other alternative therapies in rheumatoid arthritis.

Increasing use of alternative therapies is being reported in many areas of health care, particularly in those specialties in which conventional medicine can offer no complete cures. This article examines what is known about the current use of alternative therapies, and acupuncture in particular, by patients with rheumatoid arthritis.