Interactive Education for Self-Management of Arthritis

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Arthritis affects over 40 million people in the U.S. The most prevalent form of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA) affecting over 20 million people, mostly adults over the age of 45. As a chronic condition of adults, the prevalence of OA will surely increase as the population ages. Studies of arthritis education programs indicate that patient involvement in a self-management program can lead to decreases in pain, depression and disability and increases in self-efficacy. HealthMark Multimedia proposes to develop a prototype education and self-management program for people with arthritis using an interactive web site format. If feasible, this approach will increase the educational options available to those with OA. The web site will use Stages of Change concepts from the Transtheoretical Model to help those with OA identify needed behavior changes and strategies and to make and maintain those changes. Social Learning Theory will inform the multimedia approach to behavior change within each stage. In Phase II the web site will be expanded to address multiple issues in self-management of OA. Print materials will be written to provide information to health care providers on how they can help their patients with OA make use of the web site.