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OP0010-PARE (2023)
PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ONLINE “FATIGUE AND ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN WORK” (FAME-W) INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS
S. Karkon1, F. O’shea2, R. Conway2, M. Doran2, A. O’ Gorman3, H. Mccormack3, B. Irudayaraj4, D. Connolly1
1Trinity College Dublin, Occupational Therapy, Dublin, Ireland
2St James’s Hospital, Rheumatology, Dublin 8, Ireland
3St James’s Hospital, Occupational Therapy, Dublin 8, Ireland
4University Hospital Waterford, Occupational Therapy, Waterford, Ireland

 

Background A Fatigue and Activity Management Education in Work (FAME-W) programme was developed for individuals with inflammatory arthritis to manage fatigue in work (McCormick, 2018). FAME-W was designed as an in-person programme; however, due to COVID-19 pandemic it was modified to be an online group-based self-management intervention.

Objectives This study tested the effectiveness of an online format of FAME-W for future use by occupational therapist to help individuals with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work.

Methods Participants were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants in the intervention group received the online four-week FAME-W and the control group participants received a FAME-W handbook. Participants in the intervention group attended a focus group immediately after the completion of the online FAME-W programme. A qualitative descriptive design was used with semi-structured focus groups. Data were analysed by thematic analysis (Braun and Clark, 2021).

Results Twenty-six individuals took part in five separate focus groups. The average number of participants per group was 5 individuals with the largest group having 8 and smallest having 3 participants. The majority of participants were female, working full time and had Rheumatoid Arthritis. The four themes emerging from the focus groups were: “content and delivery of the programme” where participants discussed the relevance of the content to their symptoms and the online delivery format of FAME-W. In the second theme, participants discussed “understanding the effects of symptoms on their own and combined” and how symptoms effect mood, work, cognitive and physical abilities. In the third theme, “implementing the knowledge gained from the programme” through goal setting and practicality of the self-management strategies provided were discussed. Final theme “impact of the FAME-W on symptoms and work” including reassurance of normalising symptoms, change in mindset and approach to their condition were discussed.

Table 1.
Themes Quotes
Content and delivery of the programme “Each of the four sections were all very relevant”“I am quite happy that it is online because face to face would depend on location if I had the choice”
Understanding the effects of symptoms on their own and combined “Now I know that I can sleep better when I manage my pain, and I can manage my pain by managing fatigue”“When you have a long-term illness, you don’t look at the symptoms individually, you need to break it and look at it individually to know how to manage it”
Implementing the knowledge gained from the programme “I’m in a different place today than I was four weeks ago. I am doing well now. So, for me the goal setting is excellent”“Helps you implement the knowledge into your regular routine and check in with yourself”
Impact of the FAME-W on symptoms and work “Just a lightbulb moment to say, great, this is not my fault, because you can blame yourself for all the symptoms”

Conclusion Preliminary results show that participants found the online FAME-W to be effective, relevant, reassuring, and helpful. These results suggest that work-related self-management skills are essential in assisting participants with symptom management in the workplace. Furthermore, these preliminary results suggest that the online format of FAME-W may be helpful for individuals with inflammatory arthritis to stay in work and it may become a standard part of clinical care for occupational therapists.

References

  1. McCormack, RC, O’Shea, F, Doran, M, Connolly, D. Impact of a fatigue management in work programme on meeting work demands of individuals with rheumatic diseases: A pilot study. Musculoskeletal Care. 2018; 16: 398– 404.
  2. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE.

Acknowledgements: NIL.

Disclosure of Interests None Declared.

Keywords: Self-management, Work-related issues, Telemedicine

DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2023-eular.4027

Citation: , volume 82, supplement 1, year 2023, page 7
Session: "Buy one - get 4 free" - RMDs and comorbidities (Oral Presentations)