研究人员研究COVID-19的影响和MSK健康在锁定中

Researchers at theUniversity of Aberdeenhave been awarded £52,000 to investigate the impact of lockdown on patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. Specifically focusing onpsoriatic arthritis,ankylosing spondylitis和慢性疼痛状况，包括fibromyalgia.

Together with the英国风湿病学会(BSR) we’re funding the study led byProfessor Gary Macfarlane, Clinical Chair in Epidemiology.

What will the study be focusing on?

The study will shed light on the effects of lockdown on people with long-term conditions and on how their health may have been affected.

Around 2,000 patients across the UK with variety of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions who’ve been involved in long-term studies with the University will be sent questionnaires in the first instance, with in-depth interviews set up with some of them afterwards.

The challenges of lockdown for people with arthritis

MacFarlane教授解释说，大流行引起的锁定对关节炎和肌肉骨骼疾病的患者提出了一定的挑战。

“We know that two key aspects of musculoskeletal health are taking exercise and maintaining good mental health. The ability to take exercise is likely to have been restricted while mental health is likely to be affected by the anxiety around the pandemic generally, together with concerns about one’s own health as well as the effects of social isolation,” said Professor Macfarlane.

“Those in work will have experienced big changes in their workplace environment. Some may be working in essential services in very stressful circumstances, others may have had to adjust to home working, while some may either have been furloughed or lost their job.”

The impact of changes to healthcare services

“就他们的护理而言，患者将通过几乎所有在线咨询来体验其医疗保健的根本性重新组织。结果，就在患者需求最大的时候，将减少获得某些服务的访问，例如物理疗法和手术，例如注射。此外，一些患者将被分类为高风险组，并收到与“屏蔽”有关的信件，这需要他们留在家里。”

“Understandably there has been a primary focus on undertaking research directly related to Covid-19 but we also risk forgetting people with chronic diseases just at a time when their need is greatest and with severely reduced services.”

Because of their previous involvement in University studies, researchers have existing knowledge of many of the patients and their health before the pandemic.

The consequences of lockdown for people with health conditions

“We are going to evaluate their current health and see how this has changed since they were previously surveyed, hear about their experience of care during the lockdown restrictions of the pandemic and ask about their perceived current and future care needs,” added Professor Macfarlane.

“这项研究将使我们能够了解锁定对长期状况的人的后果以及其健康状况如何受到影响。它还将讨论关于虚拟咨询如何成为常规NHS医疗保健的一部分。”

Planning for the future and improving treatments

Dr Stephen Simpson, Director of Research at Versus Arthritis, says:

“四分之一的人患有肌肉骨骼状况，例如英国关节炎 - 其中一半的人每天都有疼痛。

The experience of self-shielding and social distancing during lockdown can have negative impacts on the health and condition of people with arthritis, with anxiety and reduced physical activity causing symptoms to flare."

“We’re delighted to support the extension of this work by Prof Macfarlane and colleagues to collect Covid-19 impact data. This study will help us better understand the impact lockdown is having for people with musculoskeletal conditions and allow us to improve healthcare and the management of these conditions. It is a great example of how research is adapting to meet the needs of people during the pandemic.”

**The funding for the project is split between Versus Arthritis and the British Society of Rheumatology. The study is funded by an extension to an existing study of Versus Arthritis – but with a specific focus on the impact of lockdown on patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, and involving people who did not take part in the original study.**

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