Rheumatic Disease Patients, Community Leaders, and Health Behavior Researchers: Partners in Research

• Rheumatic diseases like arthritis are among the most common health problems in the United States, yet there are significant differences in the number of individuals with these diseases and their health outcomes based on race and ethnicity. • Increasingly, attention is being focused on the identification of potentially modifiable environmental and social/behavioral factors behind racial and ethnic disparities in disease manifestations and outcome. Among these factors, health literacy, patient–provider trust, and shared decision making have become increasingly important variables to consider, particularly when it comes to disparities in the provision of care and in patient outcomes. • Despite these differences, research is often not designed nor implemented in a manner that is easily translated into treatments and outcomes that benefit the individuals and communities that need it most.