JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Patient education is integral to the treatment and care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Furthermore, change is taking place in the organisation of healthcare systems because of a demographic shift towards ageing populations and advancements in digital technologies, allowing for new interventions. However, evidence on how to provide web-based patient education within arthritis is limited.

Objective:

To develop an e-learning education program targeting patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods:

The development involved content specification and creative design with contributions from the investigators, patient research partners, and experts in communication, digital design, and e-learning. It was theoretically framed within theories of self-management and behavior change, multimedia learning and entertainment education, and empirically based on the evidence of patient education in RA and focus group discussions with patients, nurses and rheumatologists. Finally, we conducted a feasibility test among ten patients to assess the acceptability and usability of the program to identify areas to be adjusted.

Results:

The four following themes for educational needs were found in focus group discussions: “Knowledge of rheumatoid arthritis," "The disease course and prognosis," "Medical treatment," “A new life situation” and “Daily life with rheumatoid arthritis." Based on this, a didactic and entertaining e-learning program with a simple user interface was created. It consists of three modules covering the disease course, examinations, treatment, and daily life with rheumatoid arthritis. It combines animations, videos, podcasts, text, speech, and tests. The test persons found the program feasible—that is, clear in content and easy to understand with a suitable pace and coherence between graphics, speech, and text.

Conclusions:

This e-learning program is based on solid theoretical knowledge that meets users’ needs and is easy to use. Our study describes possible elements integrated in the development of web-based educational tools that can guide future development processes.