Effects of Social Networking on Chronic Disease Management in Arthritis

Last updated: June 14, 2023
Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Overall Status: Completed

Phase

2/3

Condition

Arthritis And Arthritic Pain

Dermatomyositis (Connective Tissue Disease)

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Treatment

Educational Website

Phone Interview

Facebook

Clinical Study ID

NCT02717403
2015-0349
NCI-2016-00563
14038089
  • Ages > 18
  • All Genders

Study Summary

Objectives:

The overall goal of this study is to use the principles of chronic disease management to develop and test an online social networking intervention using the FB platform in a randomized controlled trial. Our specific objectives are as follows:

Aim 1: To develop and establish an independent closed community in FB for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, providing an educational platform for disease self-management and the potential for engaging in social networking with peers (Phase 2).

Objective 1. To beta test the features and navigation buttons and panels in the newly developed website and FB group.

Objective 2. To evaluate the contents, ease of use and satisfaction with the newly developed website and FB group by patient advocates (consultants to the study) who participate as members of the Facebook community.

Aim 2: To evaluate the efficacy of the FB community intervention combined with an educational website to improve patients' self-management (including knowledge, which is the primary outcome), decision making and patient-reported outcomes compared with the educational website alone (Phase 3). We hypothesize that participation in an online closed community offering evidence-based information combined with peer interaction and support will improve patients' knowledge.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Age 18 years or older (usability test and RCT)
  2. Staff of the Department of General Internal Medicine (usability test)
  3. Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis by a rheumatologist (RCT)
  4. Ongoing or prior treatment with traditional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs orbiologic agents (RCT)
  5. Adequate cognitive status as determined by a research coordinator at recruitment. Toassess the participant's capacity to take part in the interview, the interviewer willnote and comment on the participant's spontaneous speech and capacity to write date atthe time of consent. Participants should be oriented to person, place, date, time, andevents (RCT)
  6. Living in the community (not institutionalized, etc. ) (RCT)
  7. Able to communicate in English (RCT)
  8. Use internet on average at-least once a week (RCT);
  9. Disease duration 10 years or less (RCT)
  10. Familiarity with and participation in social media (e.g. Facebook) (usability test andRCT)

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Participants not willing to complete interviews or survey instruments (usability testand RCT)
  2. Hospitalized (RCT)
  3. Patients who do not verbally, written, or electronically consent to participate (usability test and RCT)

Study Design

Total Participants: 210
Treatment Group(s): 4
Primary Treatment: Educational Website
Phase: 2/3
Study Start date:
April 07, 2016
Estimated Completion Date:
June 07, 2023

Study Description

Pilot Testing Phase:

Five participants will be recruited to pilot test and give feedback on the control educational website and the FB community. Participants will have access to the educational website and FB, for a period of one week. The main purpose is to test ease of use and satisfaction with both platforms. After 1 week, research staff will call the participant to obtain feedback about the websites. The interview will last approximately 30 minutes and in the case the participant does not finish the interview, the investigators will conduct a follow-up phone interview.

Randomization Phase:

Participants will complete a self response electronic questionnaire at baseline. Participants then randomized into one of two arms: Intervention (FB + Website) and Control (Website alone). The participant will be shown how to access the website and the Facebook page on the internet about rheumatoid arthritis. Patients will be assessed at three and six months after baseline via email self response electronic questionnaires. This phase will recruit 220 participants.

Connect with a study center

  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

    Houston, Texas 77030
    United States

    Site Not Available

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