Improving patient education for people of South Asian origin living with rheumatoid arthritis in England
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Standard care (both study arms): All participants will receive standard NHS rheumatology care, including routine early inflammatory arthritis clinic appointments, pharmacological management in accordance with national clinical guidance, and access to standard patient education routinely provided by clinical teams in English. Standard care plus Apni Jung (intervention arm): In addition to standard care, participants allocated to the intervention arm will receive access to the Apni Jung online educational programme (https://www.nras.org.uk/apnijung). The programme requires approximately 2 to 3 hours to complete and is available in Hindi and Punjabi. The content can be understood by those who speak in Urdu too. The content includes understanding RA and its treatment, self-management, medication adherence linked to illness beliefs, pain and fatigue management, flare management, cardiovascular risk reduction, diet, physical activity, and living with RA within South Asian cultural and family contexts. Patient narratives from South Asian individuals living with RA are embedded throughout the programme to enhance cultural relevance, support engagement, motivate and reduce feelings of isolation associated with a new diagnosis. To support engagement with the intervention and optimise fidelity, the research fellow will contact participants in the intervention arm by telephone approximately 1–2 weeks after access has been provided. This contact will confirm programme access, address any practical or technical difficulties, and provide participants with an opportunity to ask questions. Participants who have not yet accessed the programme will be offered additional support to facilitate engagement. No restrictions will be placed on concomitant care or access to other educational or support resources during the study period. Any additional healthcare utilisation or support accessed during the follow-up period will be documented using the healthcare utilisation diary.
1. People diagnosed with RA within a year, using the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism 2010 (ACR/EULAR 2010) criteria 2. Adults >=18 years old 3. Ability to communicate in Hindi, Punjabi, or Urdu 4. For usual care: people who have not previously received the Apni Jung programme 5. For usual care plus Apni Jung: access to the internet/phone/YouTube
1. People from non-South Asian backgrounds 2. Members of the PPI team in this study