Primary Outcome Measures:
- Self efficacy [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Well being (Arizona Integrative Outcomes Scale) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 (affect, symptoms, social interaction, role) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Educational Needs Assessment Tools [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- DAS 28 score (Disease activity score) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Patient Activation Measurement (PAM) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Cost- benefit [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Physical activity [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Use of medications [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- fatigue (VAS scale) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- Pain (VAS scale) [ Time Frame: Baseline, 4 and 12 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
There has been a rather long tradition of PE for patients with arthritis. A recent systematic review found that PE had small short-term effects on disability, joint counts, patient global assessment, psychological status and depression, but this effect disappeared on the latest time of follow up (3-14 months). A recent large British study also failed to show an effect on pain, physical functioning, or contact with primary care after 12 months, but found a significant effect on anxiety and improved the participants' perceived self efficacy. This indicates that the present forms of interventions fails to show a long term effect. One possible reason for the lack of long term effect might be that these interventions are given to groups only. Patients seem to prefer one-to-one interaction regarding information about the disease and its treatment together with emotional aspects, while education in groups are preferred for physical training and relational topics.