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JointHealth™ express   October 10, 2013

Men needed for input on biologics for rheumatoid arthritis

Help other RA patients make decisions about their biologic treatments

On September 13, JointHealth Express featured news that the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC) is looking for participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to take part in a filmed interview about their experiences in making decisions about using biologic therapy.

A month later, ARC has successfully recruited 3 participants and filming is underway. There is just one issue – all of the participants have been women.

The interviews are being filmed to feature in a new patient decision aid called ANSWER-2, which is a web-based tool to help RA patients make informed decisions about biologic treatments with their doctor. They serve the crucial purpose of sharing real-life experience and first-hand knowledge to help people with RA decide:
  1. If biologic therapy is the right choice for them, and
  2. Which biologic best meets their individual needs.
Given that over 80,000 Canadian men currently have RA and all of ANSWER-2’s participants have been women, there is a concern that the knowledge and experiences of men with RA are going under-represented. It is vital to include the male perspective in ANSWER-2. Researchers are now focusing efforts on finding men who:
  1. Have rheumatoid arthritis.
  2. Are comfortable speaking on camera.
  3. Are willing to share the reasons underlying their treatment decisions.
  4. Live in Vancouver, BC.
Participants will be reimbursed for any travel expenses incurred, provided food and beverages, and awarded a small cash honourarium for their time and effort.

All the interviews are casually conducted and can be easily edited. Participants will be able to review and approve any footage they are featured in before it is published.

If you or any man you know – husband, brother, friend or father – is interested in taking part, please click here to fill out a short questionnaire to find out more about eligibility. Do not miss out on this opportunity to share your male perspective on biologic therapy to support others with rheumatoid arthritis! For more information, please contact Charlene Yousefi, research coordinator at cyousefi@arthritisresearch.ca or by phone at 604-207-4007.