Developing and Implementing a Community-Based Model of Care for Fibromyalgia: A Feasibility Study.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Community Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) presents significant management challenges for healthcare providers.
• Integrated care models are needed to address the complexity of FM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the development and implementation of a comprehensive, community-based care model for FM.
• Assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an integrated FM care approach.

Main Methods:

• A 10-week mixed methods feasibility study involving 11 adults with FM and 7 healthcare providers (HCPs).
• Intervention included education, exercise, and sleep management, with monthly HCP team-huddles for care integration.
• Data collected via questionnaires, patient interviews, and provider focus groups/interviews.

Main Results:

• Both patients and HCPs highly valued the interprofessional team approach and group-based interventions.
• Significant improvements (P < 0.05) were observed in quality of chronic illness care, quality of life, and sleep from baseline to follow-up.
• The model demonstrated feasibility and positive patient/provider engagement.

Conclusions:

• A community-based, integrated care model for FM was successfully implemented.
• The feasibility study indicated promising outcomes for quality of life and sleep in FM patients.
• Further research with larger samples is warranted to confirm the model's effectiveness.