Reportované zdravotné problémy u pacientov s reumatoidnou artritídou a ich preferencie pre nefarmakologické intervencie

Objective: There is promising evidence for the positive impact of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) such as physiotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in patients with a chronic disease. To facili-tate the implementation of evidence-based NPIs, a first step is to understand patients’ self-reported health problems (SRHPs) and their preferences for NPIs. This study aimed to explore patients’ SRHPs and interests in NPIs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing biological treatment. Methods: We included 183 RA patients (80.9% females; mean age 55.6 ± 13.5 years) from the rheumatology outpatient department in Kosice, Slovakia. Open questions about SRHP and NPI preference, along with sociodemographic (age, gender, education, employment status, area where patient live) and environmental characteristics (home internet connection, distance from home to hospital, and companion on hospital visits) were collected through a telephone interview. Clinical characteristics of patients (HAQ-DI, DAS28, duration of disease and biologic therapy) were obtained from their medical records. Results: Physical health problems were reported by 63.9% of patients, and combined physical and mental health problems by an additional 33.3%. Patients with multiple SRHPs (χ² = 9.091, p < 0.01) and Internet users (χ² = 14.380, p < 0.001) were more likely to be interested in NPIs. We found no significant associations between a preference for a certain type of NPI and sociodemographic, clinical, or environmental characteristics. Conclusions: The majority of RA patients were open to NPIs as a new kind of additional treatment. Our results could benefit practice by helping to tailor interventions based on the patients’ most im-portant SRHPs.