Supporting self-management education for arthritis: Evidence from the Arthritis Conditions and Health Effects Survey on the influential role of health care providers

Abstract

Objective Self-management education programs are recommended for many chronic conditions. We studied which adults with arthritis received a health care provider’s recommendation to take a self-management education class and who attended. Methods We analyzed data from a 2005--2006 national telephone survey of US adults with arthritis ≥45 years ( n = 1793). We used multivariable-adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) from logistic regression models to estimate associations with: (1) receiving a health care provider recommendation to take a self-management education class; and (2) attending a self-management education class. Results Among all adults with arthritis: 9.9% received a health care provider recommendation to take an self-management education class; 9.7% attended a self-management education class. Of those receiving a recommendation, 52.0% attended a self-management education class. The strongest association with self-management education class attendance was an health care provider recommendation to take one (PR = 8.9; 95% CI = 6.6–12.1). Conclusions For adults with arthritis, a health care provider recommendation to take a self-management education class was strongly associated with self-management education class attendance. Approximately 50% of adults with arthritis have ≥1 other chronic conditions; by recommending self-management education program attendance, health care providers may activate patients’ self-management behaviors. If generalizable to other chronic conditions, this health care provider recommendation could be a key influencer in improving outcomes for a range of chronic conditions and patients’ quality of life.