To improve arthritis management and quality of life for adults with arthritis in RI, Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will build on and expand the current integration of evidence-based interventions into CDC-funded initiatives. The Rhode Island Arthritis Program (RIAP) will continue to disseminate Arthritis Appropriate Evidence-Based Interventions (AAEBIs) including the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), Tomando Control du su Salud (TCdsS), Walk with Ease-Group Led (WWE-GL), Walk with Ease-Self Directed (WWE-SD), as well as Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP). RIAP will adopt and expand innovative and systems-based approaches to enhance healthcare provider patient counseling, promote walking, and increase the availability of and participation in the previously mentioned AAEBIs/CPSMP.
To achieve increased participation and availability of AAEBIs/CPMSP, RIAP will utilize four strategies. Strategy 1: RIAP will disseminate and increase accessibility to AAEBIs/CPSMP through the Community Health Network (CHN), RIDOH’s centralized referrals system. AAEBIs/CPSMP will be offered to patients, employees, and underserved populations through current and potential health system, employer, and community partners. RIDOH will leverage current successes on Medicare coverage for the RI Diabetes Self-Management and Diabetes Prevention Programs. Strategy 2: RIDOH will be contracting with federally-qualified health centers, free clinics, and other primary care practices that serve a large Medicaid population to counsel and refer patients to increase physical activity, including participation in AAEBIs/CPSMP and walking. RIDOH is leveraging system-level work of the RI State Innovation Model, RI Medicaid, and CMS by providing support and resources for provider to reach quality improvement measures around body mass index, physical activity/nutrition, diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure, which includes walking and referrals to AAEBIs/CPSMP. Strategy 3: RIDOH will promote walking through the expansion of the WWE Program in healthcare systems, Health Equity Zones, and worksites to build on and complement existing care transformation/Patient Centered Medical Home, Complete Streets and worksite wellness initiatives. Strategy 4: RIDOH will raise awareness regarding the burden of arthritis and strategies to manage arthritis through physical activity, walking, and participation in AAEBIs/CPMSP, targeting healthcare providers, community health workers, and community-based organizations.
Key partners involved in each strategy include the RI Diabetes and Heart Disease/Stroke Program, RI Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, RI Drug Overdose Prevention Program, Own Your Health Collaborative, Chronic Disease Collaborative, Health Equity Zones, Community Health Network (CHN), the RI Chronic Care Collaborative (RICCC), Care + Community + Equity (CCE), and the Care Transformation Collaborative. RIDOH proposes to work with these well-established partners to incorporate patient counseling on physical activity and walking into RICCC/CCE contracts, expand AAEBI/CPSMP course referrals and offerings in the healthcare systems, worksites, and communities, disseminate a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the CHN and physician counseling, and establish sustainability.