Your Guide to Precision and Personalized Medicine for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Episode 1: Eileen’s Story
Eileen shares how learning to be specific about her physical and mental health needs has helped navigate the RA treatment journey.
What Precision Medicine Might Mean for Your RA Journey
While there are many different definitions, precision medicine can be defined as the objective data gathered by the health care professional from the patient to determine the best treatment plan. This takes into consideration things such as labs, hereditary information, and individualized genetics. Precision medicine has already transformed cancer treatment — no longer are cancer patients treated with a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they’re tested for genetic changes and biomarkers (biological molecules found in blood or other fluids or tissues) and treated accordingly. And for rheumatology patients like you who are hoping for this individualized care, there are new tests emerging to tailor your RA treatment.
Going through periods of trial and error has been exhausting, both mentally and physically. If there was a way to match my subtype of RA to the right medication
(so I wouldn’t have to experiment to see what works), I would be beyond happy.
— Seth Leibowitz, who was diagnosed
with RA in 2008
If you’ve been living with RA for some time, you’re likely all-too familiar with the frustrating process of having to test out medication after medication before finding one that works. Even then, there are no guarantees, as some patients find that drugs that initially helped them eventually fail. While finding treatment can be an emotional journey, the good news is that there is hope in the form of an emerging area of science that has been evolving rapidly over recent years — that is personalized and precision medicine.
Audio Guide: Understanding Precision & Personalized Medicine for RA
Understanding the difference between precision and personalized medicine is important for the present and future care of rheumatoid arthritis — learn why.
Medication changes are par for the course when managing a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis. Here’s why — and how to better cope with the emotional journey of RA treatment.
If you’re worried that your doctor may have prescribed a treatment that will not work for you, take heed: While precision medicine for RA is still in its infancy, rheumatologists aren’t blindly guessing, either. Here’s what to ask at your next appointment, to help you get to the right medication faster.
5 Question You and Your Doctor Should Ask Before Trying a New RA Medication
Stay in Touch with CreakyJoints
Podcast: Let’s Get Personal
Hear from real RA patients and a rheumatologist who treats patients with RA about their RA treatment journeys. This is not medical advice and should not take the place of your professional medical care.
Episode 2: Alexis’ Story
Alexis talks about the importance of coming to terms with your diagnosis, doing your own research, and being persistent
in your RA treatment and care.
Episode 3: Shilpa’s Story
Shilpa discusses the many emotions of living with and treating RA — and how having a supportive community and solid relationship with your doctor can help you better cope.
Episode 4: Dr. Wright
Dr. Wright talks to us about
the relationship between a rheumatologist and a patient, and how good communication is key to finding the right RA treatment.
Audio Guide: Understanding Trial
and Error in RA
ArthritisPower
Tracking your RA pain can help you better understand your condition and can help you talk to your doctor about whether your medication is working. Join ArthritisPower, a patient-centered research registry, to learn more about your RA.
CreakyJoints® is a digital community for millions of arthritis patients and caregivers worldwide who seek education, support, advocacy, and patient-centered research. We represent patients in English and Spanish through our popular social media channels, our websites, and the 50-State Network, which includes more than 1,600 trained volunteer patient, caregiver, and health care activists.
Part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, CreakyJoints also has a patient-reported outcomes registry called ArthritisPower® (ArthritisPower.org), which includes tens of thousands of consented arthritis patients who track their disease while volunteering to participate in longitudinal and observational research. CreakyJoints publishes the popular “Raising the Voice of Patients” series, which offers downloadable patient-centered educational and navigational tools for managing chronic illness. It also hosts PainSpot (PainSpot.org), a digital risk-assessment tool for musculoskeletal conditions and injuries, and eRheum (eRheum.org), for telehealth and virtual-care support. All programming is free, always. For more information and to become a member, visit CreakyJoints.org.
What RA Patients Know About Precision Medicine, Flares, and Remission
Episode 1: Eileen’s Story
Eileen shares how learning to be specific about her physical and mental health needs has helped navigate the RA treatment journey.
Episode 2: Alexis' Story
Alexis talks about the importance of coming to terms with your diagnosis, doing your own research, and being persistent in your RA treatment and care.
Episode 3: Shilpa's Story
Shilpa discusses the many emotions of living with and treating RA — and how having a supportive community and solid relationship with your doctor can help you better cope.
Episode 4: Dr. Grace Wright’s Story
Dr. Wright talks to us about the relationship between a rheumatologist and a patient, and how good communication is key to finding the right RA treatment.
When you live with rheumatoid arthritis, getting treatment as soon as you need it is important for managing your symptoms and preventing permanent joint damage. However, finding the right medication is not always a simple process. People with RA often go through a process of trial and error to find the right medication, and this can be a long journey that takes months or even years. We know there’s a lot of time and emotional energy devoted to waiting and seeing if the medication will work. And you’re not alone if you feel frustrated and discouraged by the process.
The good news is that rheumatologists, scientists, and researchers alike are dedicated to improving this process — through personalized and precision medicine, which allows them to better tailor treatment plans and determine the right medication for you.
We put together this guide to help you feel less alone in your RA treatment journey. You’ll hear from rheumatologists and people living with rheumatoid arthritis about the physical and mental toll of starting and switching therapies and how to make your rheumatologist a trustworthy partner in this often grueling process. We’ll also discuss some promising advances underway that can offer hope for landing on the right RA treatment sooner.
When you live with rheumatoid arthritis,
getting early treatment is important for managing your symptoms and preventing permanent joint damage. However, finding the right medication is not always a simple process. People with RA often go through a process of trial and error to find the right medication, and this can be a long journey that takes months or even years. We know there’s a lot of time and emotional energy devoted to waiting and seeing if the medication will work. And you’re not alone if you feel frustrated and discouraged by the process.
The good news is that rheumatologists, scientists, and researchers alike are dedicated to improving this process — through personalized and precision medicine, which allows them to better tailor treatment plans and determine the right medication for you.
We put together this guide to help you feel less alone in your RA treatment journey. You’ll hear from rheumatologists and people living with rheumatoid arthritis about the physical and mental toll of starting and switching therapies and how to make your rheumatologist a trustworthy partner in this oft-grueling process. We’ll also discuss some promising advances underway that can offer hope for landing on the right RA treatment sooner.
The Emotions of Trial and Error
Your Guide to Precision and Personalized Medicine for RA was made possible with support from Scipher Medicine.
