RMD Support Online: Finding Help & Resources
- A recent study presented at the 2025 EULAR congress in Barcelona investigated how patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) utilize online search for health information.
- The study, conducted in Germany, involved 705 participants with rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, or psoriatic arthritis.
- The study revealed that over 75% of patients use the internet to find information about their RMD.
Uncover the online habits of rheumatic disease patients and how they seek vital health details. A recent study reveals that a important majority of RMD patients leverage the internet,often without professional guidance,to understand symptoms,treatments,and related concerns.Explore the role of online resources and social media in managing chronic conditions, highlighting the gap in health literacy and patient-physician communication. Find out the areas where assistance is lacking. This study,presented at the 2025 EULAR congress,sheds light on patient behaviors. Bridging the gap requires clear guidance for online health information, a key takeaway from News Directory 3. Discover what’s next in improving patient care through informed online engagement.
Online Search Habits of Rheumatic Disease Patients Explored
Updated June 15, 2025
A recent study presented at the 2025 EULAR congress in Barcelona investigated how patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) utilize online search for health information. The research highlights the importance of understanding these habits to improve health literacy and patient-physician interaction.
The study, conducted in Germany, involved 705 participants with rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, or psoriatic arthritis. Researchers aimed to determine how these individuals search online for disease-related information, where they find it, and how they apply it in their daily lives. The findings shed light on the role of online resources in managing chronic conditions.
The study revealed that over 75% of patients use the internet to find information about their RMD. Approximately half also use social media and health apps. About 13.5% of patients search online more than once a week, frequently enough without referrals from other sources. The most common search topics included symptoms, treatment efficacy, adverse events, and disease-specific nutrition. patients primarily used free search engines and patient institution websites.
While only a small percentage (3.0%) actively participate in patient forums, a notable majority (62.4%) indicated they would encourage others to use internet-based sources. Most patients (79.8%) found the online information easy to understand, and 62.3% felt that medical terminology was well explained. However,less than half (42.6%) discussed the information they found online with their rheumatologist.
A ample 79.0% of patients believed that online information helped them better understand their disease. Nearly half felt it alleviated RMD-related anxiety or depression,while 46.5% reported it improved their understanding of their therapy.
“Online disease-related information is frequently searched by patients with an RMD, but there is a lack in the guidance on where and how to look, and how to use the information that is retrieved,” said Ioana Andreica, lead author of the study.
The research underscores the need to bridge the gap in health literacy and promote shared decision-making for individuals with RMD.Guidance is needed to help patients effectively navigate and utilize online health information.
What’s next
Future efforts should focus on providing clear guidance to RMD patients on how to find and use reliable online health information. This will help improve health literacy and facilitate more informed discussions with health care providers, ultimately enhancing patient care and outcomes.