Establishing a Collaborating Center for OACareTools PLUS (OACareTools Primary care-Led Usability & Scalability Study) and a Coordinating Center for an Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Research Network

Abstract Arthritis, a highly prevalent, debilitating, and costly chronic disease, affects 53.2 million adults in the United States, with over 32 million having osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form. OA is managed mainly in primary care settings; and evidence-based (EB) guidelines promote self-management strategies, such as physical activity (PA), weight management, and Arthritis-Appropriate, EB Interventions (AAEBIs) as first line interventions to improve OA symptoms. Health Care provider (HCP) counseling for these interventions improves patient engagement, yet counseling rates remain inadequate, and the programs are underutilized. This issue is compounded among underrepresented populations such as Blacks, Latinos, and rural citizens, who are not only more negatively impacted by arthritis but also experience disparities in healthcare for arthritis management strategies. To address the gap in HCP referrals to and patient engagement in first line EB behavioral interventions for OA, as well as address disparities in arthritis-related experiences and management, there is an urgent need for an efficient and practical framework for engaging patients with arthritis in AAEBIs. The overall goal of this proposal is to respond to SIP-24-009 as follows: 1) To establish an Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Research Network Collaborating Center that will participate in the Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Research Network (AMWRN). The Collaborating Center will also address a stated research priority to pilot test, evaluate, and translate OACareTools+, an innovative and efficient intervention developed by the OAAA, that represents an HCP-informed and inexpensive solution for integrating HCP screening, counseling, and referral to increase engagement of diverse patients with arthritis in AAEBIs. 2) To establish an Arthritis Management & Wellbeing Research Network Coordinating Center (Component B) that will coordinate arthritis research, translation, and dissemination activities. Coordinating Center responsibilities include a) Facilitating the AWMRN through providing leadership, forming and supporting an AWMRN Community Advisory Group, establishing and facilitating AMWRN working groups, and coordinating Advisory, Brainstorming, and Consultative sessions; b) Developing and executing a comprehensive dissemination plan; c) Evaluating AMWRN activities and impact. Together, the efforts from these Components will support the work of the AMWRN to identify and promote awareness of arthritis-related research priorities and findings, conduct and disseminate research, and translate science into actionable, scalable public health practices to benefit diverse adults with arthritis.