The Brigham and Women’s Hospital RA Flare Application (BWH RA Flare App) enables individuals to keep track of their rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity between regular clinic visits via short multiple choice questionnaires. Using this app, participants answer 4 questions/day about their RA symptoms. Answers are logged daily and transmitted securely to a research staff member who serves as a care manager. If disease activity worsens (also known as experiencing a “flare”), the care manager contacts the subject to discuss factors that may be associated with symptom exacerbation. Participants are also able to monitor their own RA disease activity via easy-to-read graphs that can be accessed through the app.
This app is part of a research study and is not meant to replace professional medical/clinical care. All participants must receive continuing care from a rheumatologist in the BWH Arthritis Center and be a part of this research study. Registration to the platform requires a verified email address and agreement to the BWH RA Flare App Terms of Services. Rheumatologists are not required to use any information from this study in evaluating and managing RA. If participants want to speak to their rheumatologist, they should call the BWH Arthritis Center directly and/or set up a clinic visit. Subjects with emergencies should call 911.
The BWH Division of Rheumatology is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 rheumatology programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report® and is internationally renowned for excellence in clinical care, clinical investigation and basic research. The Division’s research group, part of the Musculoskeletal Research Center at the BWH Biomedical Research Institute, has the largest research funding base and investigative team of any rheumatology and allergy program in the country. The BWH Arthritis Center has a nationwide reputation for excellence in research and clinical care. Over 2,000 RA patients are seen annually. Providers and patients regularly participate in research studies and clinical trials. The Center also has strong ties with the occupational therapy, physical therapy and orthopedics departments.