The Effect of Follow ups with Weekly Phone Calls on the Outcome and Quality of Life Among the Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed at evaluating the effect of weekly phone calls on treatment outcomes and quality of life among a group of Iranian patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 60 patients aged 15-85 with RA were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group, in addition to a monthly assessment on a weekly basis, received a full 3-month follow-up telephone conversation in order to follow the correct and regular use of the drug and respond to the patients’ questions. The control group was only evaluated routinely. Finally, the severity of the disease activity (based on DAS-28) and the quality of life (based on the SF-12 questionnaire) were evaluated after three months. Results: After three months from the onset of intervention, a significant reduction was observed in the number of tender joints, mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and total score of DAS-28 in the intervention group compared to the control group. In addition, after three months of treatment, the quality of life for the intervention group improved significantly more than that of the control group. Conclusion: A weekly phone call with the patients suffering from RA with the purpose to guide the therapeutic process and respond to the patients’ questions could positively improve the severity of the disease along with the quality of life among the patients.