This project was designed to be a collaborative partnership with key stakeholders to ensure sustainability with a focus on improving health outcomes of Irish adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). ThePaediatric Rheumatologistto patient ratio for Irish children is the second lowest in Europe. In order to meet thecritical need for accessible and effective interventions for Irish adolescents with JIA,this project willpilot an Irish adaptation of the Canadian “Teens Taking Charge (TTC): Managing Arthritis Online” programme combined with novel peer mentoring (iPeer2Peer). Using Skype conversations, young adults with JIA will mentor adolescents with JIA by tailoring and guiding adolescents through the TTC programme. While both programmes individually have been proven effective in improving JIA-related knowledge and improved self-management, they have never been combined nor have previous trials allowed individual tailoring, which is believed crucial to more effectively meet adolescents’ needs.
A qualitative needs assessment with Irish adolescents, parents and health care professionals (HCP) has alreadt revealed substantial interest in TTC, especially with integrated iPeer2Peer mentoring. Minor adjustments to TTC were identified to make it implementable within the Irish health care context.
The objectives of the current project are to evaluate:
Usability (ease of use) of the adapted Irish version of TTC (study phase 1)
Preliminary outcome impact (effectiveness)of the integrated iPeer2Peer mentoring with Irish TTC, by conducting a pilot randomised control trial (RCT) (study phase 2).
This pilot RCT will allow us to understand unique contextual factors in Ireland and how these influence intervention outcomes. It will also allow appropriate sample size calculations for a future definitive RCT. The end product will be a culturally appropriate clinical tool developed in partnership with adolescents with JIA, their parents, health professionals and JIA organizations, that will overcome current barriers to accessing self-management care and peer support.
