Person-focused care for young people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: Young rheumatologists' and EULAR Young PARE perspectives

Abstract

In recent years, the evolution of healthcare challenged the management of people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). From disease-centred care to person-focused care, a holistic approach along with patient empowerment about their disease, improved the physician-patient relationship and allowed to achieve better outcomes with lower healthcare costs. Nevertheless, RMDs may occur from childhood to the old age and to date very few studies have addressed the needs and priorities of young people with RMDs. However, the image of RMDs is still associated with the elderly population. In this regard, the group of young people with arthritis and rheumatism in Europe (PARE) was recently developed within European League Against Rheumatism to represent the voice of the young affected and to carry out projects aiming for a better understanding of these specific aspects. This viewpoint discusses the needs and priorities of young people compared with adult people with RMDs, based on the available literature and on the results of the PARE Youth research project, aiming to identify the next steps of actions that need to be taken to improve the current situation.