OT and Psoriatic Arthritis

Earn 1 hour of continuing education by joining OT Potential after taking this course.

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Where does OT fit in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) care? 

In this one hour course we’ll dive into a comprehensive guideline for psoriatic arthritis treatment, which recommends patients utilize a mix of non-pharmacological tools, like occupational therapy. 

This article will help you brush up on psoriatic arthritis, see OT within a holistic approach to care, and appreciate the importance of individualized care (which we are so skilled in providing). 

After we review the article, we’ll be joined by  Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD, OTR/L, to discuss her innovative approach to arthritis care through a self-management program—and the funding that makes this possible. Her story—and this guideline—will leave you with practical takeaways for improving your care of PsA. 

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• 2018 American College of Rheumatology/National Psoriasis Foundation guideline for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• A lifestyle management for arthritis group education intervention for people with inflammatory and degenerative arthritis: An observational study
• Examining rehabilitation dose in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: Association with Baseline Factors and change in clinical outcomes

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to recognize assessments OTs can utilize with psoriatic arthritis patients.
• You will be able to identify the components of a self-management approach to OT treatment for psoriatic arthritis.

Supplemental Materials

• The Arthritis Foundation
• American College of Rheumatology
• Easy-to-read overview of OT’s role in treating PsA 
• Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP)
• Guidelines specifically for skin psoriasis
• Healthline article on PsA
• Self-management Resource Center
• National Psoriasis Foundation
• Treat to target

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Refresher: what is psoriatic arthritis (PsA)?
• Manifestations (and an arthritis vocabulary refresher)
• Is psoriatic arthritis curable?
• How does this paper contribute to our understanding of treatment for PsA?
• Which assessments were mentioned?
• Which medications did they recommend?
• What did they recommend for non-pharmacological interventions?
• Discussion
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Duana Russell-Thomas) (50 minutes)

• How did you first find OT? 
• How did you become involved in OT and arthritis care? 
• Can you tell us about your involvement with the MO Regional Arthritis Centers? 
• What were your initial impressions from this article? 
• What assessments have you found helpful to utilize with arthritis patients? 
• What are your main considerations as you approach treatment for arthritis patients?
• What can it look like for OTs to support arthritis patients in medication management? 
• What role can OTs plan in other recommendations like smoking cessation and weight loss? 
• I always feel like not enough OTs are involved in arthritis care. Why is that and what are avenues for us to increase our involvement with this population? 
• Are there any health tech tools that you see taking hold in the arthritis community? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about OT and Psoriatic Arthritis.  The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guest, Duana Russell-Thomas, also has no financial disclosures.

Speakers

Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD, OTR/L

Duana Russell-Thomas, OTD, OTR/L, is an assistant professor of occupational therapy and medicine and the director of the Community Experiential Learning Center (CELC). The center serves the community’s needs by actively engaging in the health and well-being of St. Louis residents.

Russell-Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1992, her master’s degree in occupational therapy in 1997, and her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy in 2016 from Washington University in St. Louis. She earned her Master of Arts in professional studies from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis in 2021. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. For more details read our blog post: Can I earn OT CEUS from a podcast? To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Explained. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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