Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue research

Fatigue can be one of the most challenging symptoms for people with inflammatory arthritis to manage. It has been one of our research priorities for over 10 years. Our work includes:

• Qualitative research to understand how people with inflammatory arthritis experience fatigue and the impact that it can have on their lives.
• Conceptual models to describe the multiple factors that can interact to drive and maintain fatigue in inflammatory arthritis.
• A PROM (patient reported outcome measure) to measure fatigue, which has been translated into more than 36 languages: Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Scales. 
• The design of fatigue self-management interventions, both group based and one-to-one, and their testing in randomised controlled trials and feasibility studies. These interventions often include health professional training and delivery manuals.
• Systematic reviews of the efficacy of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for fatigue in inflammatory arthritis and the measurement properties of widely used PROMs.
• A scoping review to identify the underpinning theories and mechanisms of evidence-based interventions; to identify the clinical competencies required to deliver fatigue support; to define fatigue from the perspective of people living with the symptom; and to identify key gaps in fatigue support provision.
• The development of the 2023 EULAR (European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology) recommendations for the management of fatigue in people with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Our current focus is on getting evidence into practice and making fatigue support easily and widely available to people with inflammatory arthritis.

To see more about why fatigue research is so important, please watch the video animation below.

Contact

For further information, please contact MAMBO Theme Lead, Dr Emma Dures (emma2.dures@uwe.ac.uk).