Patients Gather for Rheumatoid Arthritis Discussion
Nancy Shadick, MD, and Michael Weinblatt, MD, answer questions from arthritis patients and their families
at the roundtable discussion in June.
More than 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their families came to BWH in June for a mini-workshop on treatments and therapies as part of the hospital’s Patient-Centered Outcomes Project (PACO).
“Many of our patients told us they never had talked to other patients with rheumatoid arthritis so this was an important opportunity,” said Nancy Shadick, MD, director of PACO.
PACO began in 2006 to emphasize patient-centered practices in RA care through better patient-doctor communication, patient self-management and identification of patient concerns. PACO has a 20-member patient advisory board that meets four times a year with the team. It grew out of a larger 900-patient RA study, Brigham and Women’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Sequential Study (BRASS).
“We talk with the patients about their concerns, and, based on what they say, we design and implement new services,” said Melanie Zibit, project manager. “Our goal is to improve support for our patients.” Bristol-Myers Squibb funds PACO as a potential model for improving care at large centers throughout the country.
Michael Weinblatt, MD, associate director of the Center for Arthritis and Joint Diseases, gave the keynote address about new research on the horizon and current options for therapies.
“Rheumatoid arthritis patients fare significantly better today than 20 years ago,” said Weinblatt. “One percent of Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and we have a lot of promise from new research to improve care.”
Weinblatt and Shadick fielded questions from patients, including concerns about heart disease risks, the effect of steroid drugs, and how rheumatoid arthritis affects cognitive function.
A video of Weinblatt’s and Shadick’s presentation and more information will be available on the BRASS Web site, www.brassstudy.org