Dr. Davis says that the important lesson from this study “is the need for education of both the person with arthritis and the spouse or significant other. It’s important for patients to learn the value of pacing or not overdoing it, and of prioritizing. They may not be able to do everything they would like to do or all that they feel needs to be done, physically and socially. It’s important that they and the spouse understand this.”
She notes that, “because all patients are not likely to see a rheumatologist, rheumatologists may need to offer education to other healthcare professionals, as well as to the patient and spouse. Consideration might be given to placing information on computer websites that are frequently visited by the public interested in arthritis.”
