This project will evaluate the effectiveness and general usefulness of two arthritis patient education programs. The first, the Arthritis Self-Management Program, is a 6-week, community-based program taught in small groups by peer leaders. The second, the Self-Managed Arthritis Relief Therapy (SMART) Program, is a computer-driven program delivered through the mail. Participants in this project are people with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis who are taking part in the larger long-term studies being conducted by ARAMIS (the Arthritis, Rheumatism and Aging Medical Information System).

In a changing health care environment, the role of patients in managing their arthritis is increasingly important. Patient education is the primary means for teaching patients how to fulfill this role successfully. The goal of self-management health education is not merely to provide information but also to change patient attitudes and behavior so that patient outcomes are improved. These programs represent a new treatment for arthritis.

This project will evaluate the relative effect on health status and cost-effectiveness of two arthritis patient education programs that use different delivery systems. The Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP) uses a small group, multi-class format. It is taught by trained lay leaders and has been evaluated for effectiveness and widely disseminated. The Self-Managed Arthritis Relief Therapy (SMART) Program is a computer-driven, individualized, mail-delivered intervention. Results of a pilot study suggest that it is effective in improving health status and reducing health care use.

The project will also evaluate how generalizable the SMART program is and its effectiveness for patients with different diagnoses (OA and RA). It will also determine the attributes of patients who choose and do not choose to participate in patient education programs as well as the attributes of those who complete and do not complete the ASMP and SMART programs.

Through use of the ARAMIS data collection system, the project allows us to describe the differences between people who volunteer to receive patient education and those who refuse patient education. This project is directed at improving patient outcomes in both RA and OA through wide availability of a low-cost, mail-delivered arthritis self-management program that is the next generation in arthritis health education.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Physician diagnosis of OA or RA
• Participation in the ARAMIS longitudinal study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age under 18