AB1348 PERSPECTIVES OF PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS REGARDING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Objectives: To elicit perspectives of patients with IA to inform the design of a patient-centered intervention for a CVD risk reduction intervention. Methods: This was a qualitative study guided by Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, placing special emphasis on knowledge about the relationship between arthritis and CVD as well as barriers and facilitators to receiving healthcare related to CVD risk such as screening and management for hyperlipidemia. We recruited patients from a single academic center with either RA, PsA, or AS to participate in focus groups. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: We conducted three focus groups with a total of 17 participants (5 participants in two and 7 participants in one of the focus groups) of mean age 56 (SD+7.7) years; 15 were women; 3 were on a statin; and 1 previously had a stroke. Barrier Themes 1-2: 1) Need for more information about arthritis, prognosis, and IA medications; 2) Lack of knowledge about how IA increases cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Facilitator Themes 3-5: 3) Lifestyle changes to reduce overall CVD risk; 4) Potential roles for peer coaches; and 5) Improving doctor-patient communication about IA, medications, and CVD risk. Patients expressed that improving Themes 2 and 5 could facilitate CVD screening. Conclusion: Education about increased CVD risk could help activate patients with IA engage in CVD risk reduction strategies. Peer coaches appears to be a reasonable tool towards that goal. Disclosure of Interests: Iris Navarro-Millan: None declared, Sarah Young: None declared, Sally Shurbaji: None declared, Chastity McDavid: None declared, Anna Cornelius-Schecter: None declared, Bernadette Johnson: None declared, Andrea Cherrington: None declared, Liana Fraenkel: None declared, Jeffrey Curtis: None declared, Monika Safford Grant/research support from: Amgen