OPERAS: Empowering active self-management of arthritis

Although remaining physically active is a key to managing arthritis, many people living with arthritis struggle with daily activities, exercise and doing all they could to deal with their condition. The problem is confounded by a lack of user-friendly tools for treatment choices, not enough information from healthcare professionals, and failing to properly take medications over fears of side effects.

Our research collaborators were looking to advance their decade-long partnership between researchers, patients and clinicians to improve the health of people with RA through an an online intervention app that would improve self-management ability in people with RA.

OPERAS (On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management) is an online platform combining symptom/disease activity monitoring and physical activity counselling developed with researchers from Arthritis Research Canada to improve the health of people with rheumatoid arthritis.

The program is made up of multiple parts that combine to provide patients with easier access to health information and access guidance and advice from health professionals so that they can better self-manage their disease.

• an online journal to record, monitor, and report on differences in symptoms, treatment and disease activity;
• telephone counselling with a physiotherapist; and
• an innovative Fitbit data visualization customized to RA to display physical activity successes

OPERAS is currently available to patients as part of a clinical study to show if the program can positively impact the self-care and activity levels of arthritis patients. The belief is that this model of care will empower Canadians to better understand their health, seek care when they need it, and most importantly improve their health outcomes.