Effects of a 4-week Omaha System transitional care programme on rheumatoid arthritis patients' self-efficacy, health status, and readmission in mainland China: A randomized controlled trial

Background and aim To our knowledge, the practice of transitional care was not common in mainland China. This study was designed to test the intervention effects of a specific dose (4 weeks) of an Omaha-based system transitional care programme for Chinese patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Methods The intervention group adopted a 4-week nurse-led transitional care intervention based on the Omaha System. The control group used a comparable length of routine care. The outcome indexes were a Chinese version of the Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale-8, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index, and hospital readmission rates. Data were collected from June 2018 to December 2018. Results Finally, 88 patients (44 in the intervention group and 44 in the control group) entered the data analysis. Baseline sociodemographic data for both groups were not found to be statistically significant. The self-efficacy and HAQ-DI of the intervention group were significantly different from the control group. Although the readmission rates of the intervention group were lower than that of the control group, it was not statistically significant. Conclusions This 4-week transitional care intervention dose is sufficient to provide evidence for improving self-efficacy to implement disease management and enhancing physical function of patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.