TALK OVER RA – A Global Perspective on Remission and Rheumatoid Arthritis – United States

Jennifer Barton, MD, is an academic rheumatologist with a research focus on health communication and rheumatic diseases. Dr. Barton has received a career development award from the American College of Rheumatology as well as a Hellman Family Early Career Award to study patient-physician discordance around assessment of disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis.

She has conducted research on disparities in utilization and outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Barton and colleagues have developed a low literacy medication summary guide and decision aid tool for patients with rheumatoid arthritis with funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Dr. Barton continues to focus her research on the development and implementation of educational materials, decision support tools, and other interventions to enhance communication for vulnerable populations with rheumatic disease.

In her ongoing and pending research grants, Dr. Barton draws on her expertise in the field of health communication, health disparities and the rheumatic diseases as well as her work as a clinical rheumatologist serving Veterans at the Portland VA Medical Center

Why this idea?

Talk Over RA is a campaign to help those with Rheumatoid arthritis improve their communications with their rheumatologist around remission but that’s a sometimes unclear concept for many, myself included in my early years of diagnosis.

For the 2023 Talk Over RA campaign I have decided to interview as many rheumatologists from around the world on what remission for rheumatoid arthritis is. My aim is to provide a small global perspective on what exactly remission is and if there are difference based on location.

This idea came to me after attending the Canadian, American, and European scientific conferences in person and online for the last 5 years. I really like learning from the experts in their field and from around the globe. I hope you learn something from this project you can use in your journey with rheumatoid arthritis or even other types of inflammatory arthritis, wherever you are in the world.

United States Connection

I met Dr. Jennifer Barton in 2021 when I was a patient partner involved in the 2021 American College of Rheumatology Integrative Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines. I also had the pleasure of meeting her briefly at the 2022 American College of Rheumatology Conference in 2022 located in Philadelphia. I found her incredibly supportive of the patient voice and also quite knowledgeable and easy to understand when speaking about rheumatoid arthritis. For these reasons I asked to interview her for my 2023 Talk Over RA Global Perspective United States opinion.

What we go over in this video interview

• What is remission?
• Is there a one size fits all for remission?
• Can you tell by bloodwork someone is in remission?
• Does lifestyle play a role in remission?
• How long does remission typically last? What causes someone to fall out of remission?
• Who has a higher chance of remission – Seropositive or seronegative?
• What comorbidities get in the way of remission?
• Can diet alone put someone into remission?
• Can you still have pain, fatigue or cognitive dysfunction and be in remission?
• Can you stop medication if you reach remission?
• Are remission rates increasing?
• What are some important questions patients can ask their rheumatologist around remission?
• Is remission more common in males or females?
• Is remission more common in younger or older people?
• Early and effective treatment is important for those with RA. For many patients it takes time to find the right medication for us, for those that it takes years to, can we still reach remission?
• Is there anything else you feel is important for patients to know?

Download The Talk Over RA Discussion Guide

TalkOverRA is a platform that aims to empower people living with rheumatoid arthritis to advocate for themselves and their healthcare needs. It provides resources, community support, and tools to help individuals communicate effectively with their doctors and healthcare providers. The campaign emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and provides tips for assertive communication and asking the right questions.

• Download the guide here
• Learn more about Talk Over RA Here

2023 Talk Over RA Content

• Patient Leaders Talk Over RA Video
• Canada – Dr. Cheryl Barnabe
• United States – Dr. Jen Barton
• Brazil – Dr. André Luiz Luquini Pereira
• Talk Over RA 2020 – 2023 Recap
• Talk Over RA –  Important Questions To Ask Your Rheumatoid Arthritis Care Team
• Talk Over RA – Understanding Obesity and Remission with Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Talk Over RA – What I Learned About Remission and Rheumatoid Arthritis At The 2023 American College of Rheumatology Conference

Be sure to follow the other Talk Over RA Advocates!

• Lene Andersen  –@theseatedview
• Julia McNally –@the.ra.yogi
• Michael Kuluva – @michaelkuluva