Abstract Background/Aims Patients from ethnic minorities show higher disease activity compared to White patients, highlighting potential health inequities and suggesting it may be more challenging to manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in ethnic minority populations. Effective treatment of RA reduces the inflammatory burden, minimising the impact of the disease and improving clinical outcomes. Treatment can be optimised by self-management. Patients need to understand their disease to modify behaviours, adhere to treatment and implement lifestyle changes; as a result, patient education is crucial. Patient education comprises any educational activities or programmes through which patients receive information about their disease and how to manage it effectively. Despite the availability of resources for health information about RA, many underserved, non-native and/or ethnic minority patients face additional barriers to accessing this information. However, the reasons for this are not currently well understood. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to explore the literature on the views, experiences, and barriers that non-native and minority ethnic groups face when accessing information resources about the management of RA. Methods Four electronic databases were searched from inception to October 2024 and screened by two independent reviewers against the following prespecified inclusion criteria: 1. Must include participants who are diagnosed with RA and non-English language speakers; 2. Include participants who are adults. 3. Adopt a qualitative study design. Line-by-line coding of findings was carried out and was supported by NVivo software. Codes were then grouped to represent themes and sub-themes of key concepts commonly described across included studies. The themes were discussed and modified among the wider research team. The quality appraisal of the studies was performed by two independent reviewers using the CASP checklist, assessing methodological rigour and the validity of results to identify any potential sources of bias. Results A total of nine studies were included, and three main themes were identified: 1) A lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding of RA and its treatments, 2) Mistrust of healthcare professionals, 3) Uncertainties and concerns about the risks and benefits of treatments. Conclusion Ethnic minority and non-native patients encounter barriers to accessing information about RA. The studies identified a lack of understanding of the education provided, subsequent uncertainty about recommended treatments and mistrust of healthcare professionals. Rheumatology services should take steps to better gain trust from ethnic minority and non-native patients and develop or adapt resources about RA to improve their accessibility to a wider patient population. Disclosure R. Keerio: None. J. Rawlinson-Smith: None. R. Lee: None. N. Maricar: None. A. Barton: None. J. Humphreys: None.
Keerio et al. (Wed,) studied this question.