Clinical Research Directory

DETECTRA: Remote Monitoring to Detect Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares and Treatment Response

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the DETECTRA remote monitoring platform can help clinicians detect rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease flares earlier and more reliably, as well as identify response and non-response or insufficient response to treatment, compared with standard care. The study will include patients with RA and will follow them for 12 months. The main questions it aims to answer are: In patients with remission or low disease activity (DAS28-CRP ≤ 2.6), does remote monitoring with patient-reported outcomes and self-performed imaging using DETECTRA enable earlier detection of disease flares compared with standard care? In patients with higher disease activity (DAS28-CRP \> 2.6) who have switched medication, does DETECTRA enable earlier and more reliable identification of response and non-response or insufficient response to treatment compared with standard care? Researchers will compare the DETECTRA intervention groups with standard-of-care control groups to see whether remote monitoring enables earlier and more reliable detection of changes in disease activity and treatment response. Participants will: Be assigned to a Low Disease Activity (LDA) or High Disease Activity (HDA) substudy based on their DAS28-CRP score at baseline. Be randomly assigned within their substudy to either the DETECTRA remote monitoring group or the standard-of-care group. In the DETECTRA group, regularly provide patient-reported outcomes and perform self-imaging of their hands remotely using the DETECTRA application. Attend standard clinical assessments and be followed for 12 months.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise in Rheumatoid Arthritis

This study aims to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise therapy on quality of life, functional capacity, mood, and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, the study investigates the impact of aerobic exercise on inflammatory markers, pain, and disease activity.

Exploring and Measuring the Impact of Steroids in Children and Young People

Assessing the impact of glucocorticoids in children and young people with rheumatic conditions, to develop a patient reported outcome measure (PROM). Glucocorticoids, also known as steroids, are a very effective medication for the treatment of rheumatological conditions. They are used to reduce inflammation, pain and damage to organs. However, steroids can have some unwanted side effects, such as, increased weight, skin changes, feeling anxious, delayed puberty, diabetes and loss of bone mass. These side effects can therefore impact children and young people's health related quality of life (HRQoL). The investigators would like to create a new questionnaire for children and young people (CYP) who take steroids due to their rheumatological condition. The questionnaire, called a Patient Reported Outcome Measure, (PROM), will measure how steroids are affecting CYP. The first step in creating the questionnaire is to talk to children, young people and their parents/guardians about their experiences of taking steroids. The investigators plan to do this in focus groups, with people around the same age. The second step will then be to take everything people said in the focus group to create the questions in the questionnaire. Cognitive interviewing will then be used in a structured one on one interview to test for relevance, clarity and understanding of the questions. Children, young people and their parents/guardians will be involved throughout the research. Children and young people will give their thoughts and feedback on resources created for participants (consent forms/assent forms/participation information sheet/interview schedule), as well as how the focus groups and cognitive interviews should be structured. With consent, participants will be provided with a lay summary of the results. Results will also be published within peer-reviewed journals, special interest groups, trial meetings, patient charity meetings and presented at conferences.