Internet Self-Management Program With Telephone Support for Adolescents With Arthritis

An Internet-based Self-management Program With Telephone Support for Adolescents With Arthritis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

This study will evaluate the feasibility of "Teens Taking Charge: Managing Arthritis On-line" intervention that will help adolescents with arthritis to better manage their disease and improve their health-related quality of life (HRQL).

This feasibility study will (1) assess adolescents' willingness to be randomized; (2) pilot the intervention, attention control strategies (e.g., adolescents' 'own best efforts' at managing arthritis), and outcome measures; (3) determine adolescents' perceptions regarding acceptability of the web-based intervention; and (4) obtain estimates of treatment effects in primary (HRQL) and secondary (knowledge, coping, self-efficacy, stress, treatment adherence, pain) outcome measures to inform the calculation of appropriate sample size for the future RCT.

We hypothesize that adolescents with JIA in the web-based intervention will demonstrate: (a) improved HRQL; (b) increased disease-specific knowledge; (c) improved coping, self-efficacy, and adherence to prescribed management; and (d) decreased pain and stress compared to adolescents in the attention control group

Inclusion Criteria:

• adolescents 12 to 18 years
• diagnosed with JIA,
• able to speak and read English or French
• able to complete baseline online outcome measures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• cognitive impairment
• major co-morbid illnesses (medical or psychiatric) which may impact their ability to understand and use the web-based program.