Training of Peer Coaches to Assist Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis Prepare and Recover From Total Knee Replacement.

Objective: The objective of this study is to outline the training of peer coaches in the Moving Well intervention, which was designed to reduce anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing in patients before and after total knee replacement (TKR).

Methods: Selected peer coaches had a history of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a TKR of 12 months or more before training, and were 60 or older. Training was primarily conducted virtually, with a later addition of one in-person session.

Lay Health Worker Interventions in Rheumatology: A Scoping Review.

Objective: To determine next steps for lay health worker (LHW) intervention research, specifically in patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), there is a need to establish what strategies have been effective for chronic disease management thus far. The goal of this scoping review is to collate the literature of LHW interventions for adults with RMDs to inform next steps for LHW research.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in the following databases from inception to September 2021: Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and The Cochrane Library.

A single-center, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial to pilot the effectiveness of a peer coach behavioral intervention versus an active control in reducing anxiety and depression in patients scheduled for total knee replacement.

Background: Moving Well is a behavioral intervention for patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) scheduled for a total knee replacement (TKR). The objective of this intervention is to help patients with KOA mentally and physically prepare for and recover from TKR.

Methods: This is an open-label pilot randomized clinical trial that will test the feasibility and effectiveness of the Moving Well intervention compared to an attention control group, Staying Well, to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with KOA undergoing TKR.

Virtual training of rheumatoid arthritis peer coaches in motivational interviewing skills and concepts of cardiovascular disease.

Background: Peer coaching interventions are effective in helping individuals with chronic conditions understand their disease. Most peer coach training programs occur in person, which has become an obstacle during the COVID pandemic. We describe our experiences with virtual training for future peer coach interventions.

Protocol for the pilot randomized trial of the CArdiovascular Risk assEssment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (CARE RA) intervention: a peer coach behavioral intervention.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), with an estimated increased risk of 50-60% compared to the general population. Lipid-lowering strategies have been shown to lower CVD risk significantly in people with RA and hyperlipidemia. Thus, CVD risk assessment has an important role to play in reducing CVD among people with RA.