TY - JOUR T1 - "It may help you to know...": The Early-phase Qualitative Development of a Rheumatoid Arthritis Goal Elicitation Tool JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol DO - 10.3899/jrheum.201615 SP - jrheum.201615 AU - Julie Kahler AU - Ginnifer Mastarone AU - Rachel Matsumoto AU - Danielle ZuZero AU - Jacob Dougherty AU - Jennifer L. Barton Y1 - 2021/07/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2021/10/22/jrheum.201615.abstract N2 - Objective Treatment guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include a patient-centered approach and shared decision making, which includes a discussion of patient goals. We describe the iterative early development of a structured goal elicitation tool to facilitate goal communication for persons with RA and their clinicians. Methods Tool development occurred in 3 phases: (1) clinician feedback on the initial prototype during a communication training session; (2) semistructured interviews with RA patients; and (3) community stakeholder feedback on elements of the goal elicitation tool in a group setting and electronically. Feedback was dynamically incorporated into the tool. Results Clinicians (n = 15) and patients (n = 10) provided feedback on the tool prototypes. Clinicians preferred a shorter tool deemphasizing goals outside of their perceived treatment domain or available resources; they highlighted the benefits of the tool to facilitate conversation but raised concerns regarding current constraints of the clinic visit. Patients endorsed the utility of such a tool to support agenda setting and preparing for a visit. Clinicians, patients, and community stakeholders reported the tool was useful but identified barriers to implementation that the tool could itself resolve. Conclusion A goal elicitation tool for persons with RA and their clinicians was iteratively developed with feedback from multiple stakeholders. The tool can provide a structured way to communicate patient goals within a clinic visit and help overcome reported barriers such as time constraints. Incorporating a structured communication tool to enhance goal communication and foster shared decision making may lead to improved outcomes and higher-quality care in RA. ER -