Management guidelines have identified unmet educational needs in gout patients. Our objective was to develop and pilot test MyGoutCare (MGC©)-a web-based, interactive educational resource for gout patients, tailored to improve knowledge.
The website was developed with input from patients and experts. A health informatics expert tailored content areas so the patient could walk through a journey to learn various aspects of gout. During the pilot study, patients completed baseline demographics and a 10-item validated gout knowledge questionnaire. After reviewing the website, patients completed a post-survey within 2 weeks of their physician visit. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and effect size (ES) was calculated for the changed scores.
Gout patients and experts agreed on these content areas-triggers of flares, comorbidities, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment, healthy gout diet, and lifestyle choices. In the pilot study, 50 patients (mean age of 54 years, mean disease duration of 9.5 years, and mean 3-5 flares/year) were recruited. Their post-survey scores (0-10) on knowledge questions improved significantly when compared to pre-survey scores with mean (SD) of 1.95 (1.76) p < 0.0001, ES = 0.95. Patients identified actionable changes moving forward after reviewing the website-decision to continue lifelong urate-lowering therapy, complying with periodic monitoring of serum urate, and making dietary changes.
Web-based platforms that offer patient-focused materials can serve as a practical tool to address ongoing educational needs of gout patients. Additional studies are needed to evaluate if the website can improve patient-physician communication and lead to better long-term outcomes.