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Overview

 

vRheum is a free mobile app that collects patient-reported outcomes in children and young adults with pediatric rheumatic diseases and their parents. The app provides feedback about how health is changing over time.

About this study

This study aims to collect information about how people use the vRheum app to track their pediatric rheumatic disease. We hope to learn whether the app helps children, young adults, and their families better understand their rheumatic disease.

Who can participate in this study?

  • Children with a pediatric rheumatic disease and their parents, as well as adults who were diagnosed with a rheumatic disease during childhood (<18 years) are invited to participate.
  • Children < 18 years of age will need to obtain their parent’s permission to participate.
  • Participants must be able to read English, live in the United States, and be willing to complete occasional short surveys and track disease activity.

Who is conducting this study?

CARRA Logo at 400px wide

This study is based in Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School, one of the leading pediatric hospitals in the United States. The study is sponsored by the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), a large network of pediatric rheumatologists who aim to find the best methods to treat and discover the means to prevent or cure pediatric rheumatic diseases.

How do I join this study?

You can currently download the vRheum study app from Apple's App Store and it will be available the Google Play Store soon. You will then complete questions confirming your eligibility to participate and sign a consent form. If you are the parent of a child ages 7 or older, you’ll also need your child’s permission to participate. For more information, including potential risks and benefits, please read the Assent and Consent forms.

Screeenshot of vRheum App that lists the steps needed to enroll in the Study
Enrolling in the study is easy. You download the app, learn about the study, and if you’re eligible, you register for the app and get started!
Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the "Daily Check-in" and Survey links
The “Daily Check In” allows you to quickly evaluate your child’s disease activity with the location of painful joints, joint stiffness, levels of fatigue, and pain.
Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the Survey page
You will periodically complete surveys that will assess your child’s physical and mental health, which you can track over time.

What will happen once I join this study?

You will use the vRheum app to track your or your child’s disease activity over time. You may receive periodic notifications (reminders) to answer new surveys once they become available.

Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the page for tracking joint stiffness
You can follow the duration of your child’s morning stiffness
Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the page for tracking fatigue
You can follow your child’s level of fatigue
Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the page for tracking body pain over time
You can track swollen or painful joints over time
Screeenshot of vRheum App that displays the page for tracking the locations of joint pain and sweeling
You can specify painful or swollen joints in the hand and elsewhere in the body