JIA Toolbox Feasibility Study

Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a long-term rheumatic disease affecting approximately 15,000 children and young people (CYP) in the UK. JIA causes ongoing/long-term joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness, making everyday activities difficult. JIA has been shown to impact physical, social, emotional, and educational development. CYP with JIA find current product aids difficult to use, stigmatising and patronising. This project follows on from a previous successful proof-of-concept study in 2021, involving initial testing on 10 CYP over 9 weeks. These results established that the prototypes addressed an unmet need and worked well. We now propose a feasibility study involving 25 children using the prototypes over 3 months to assess their suitability and further develop an evidence base. The prototypes - 'JIA Toolbox'- consist of three prototypes that collectively aim to improve CYP's independence and functional ability. This project consists of 6 Work Packages (WP): WP1: Post application and pre-award start WP2: Design and development WP3: Production of final prototypes WP4: Recruitment of participants WP5: Feasibility intervention period WP6: Data analysis and dissemination The feasibility study aims to test the effectiveness and viability of 'JIA Toolbox' in improving CYP with JIA's independence, functional ability, and therefore overall condition management. The study will involve recruiting 25 CYP with JIA aged 7-16 and their parent/guardian from Sheffield Children's Hospital. Baseline data on CYP's lived experience of JIA will be collected over 2 weeks, through self-reporting. They will then use the prototypes for 3 months. Lived experience data on condition management will continue to be self-reported and the prototypes will collect usage data independently. Post-intervention data will then be collected for a further 2 weeks. Interviews will then be conducted to further capture study experience.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most frequently occurring rheumatic disease of childhood, causing ongoing joint inflammation, pain and stiffness making everyday activities difficult. Studies have emphasised the significant negative impacts JIA has across physical, social, psychological and educational development. Key stakeholder groups (CYP with JIA, their parents, healthcare professionals and teachers) were active participants throughout our previous work, through co-design workshops, surveys and a proof-of-concept study. Key highlighted clinical need was assistance with self-management. This is broken down into the following specific unmet needs: Pain-management. Improved pain management would enable CYP to do more of the things they love, by providing a solution that they can use independently as and when is needed, positively impacting their wellbeing. Physiotherapy adherence as currently CYP often do not do clinician-recommended exercises. Improved compliance with recommended physiotherapy interventions may reduce pain in the long-term and improve mobility. Communication between the pupil and teacher. Improving this communication would provide CYP with a way to discreetly access necessary support without facing stigma, improving their concentration by removing anxiety around accessing help. JIA Toolbox is a co-designed innovation, consisting of three assistive device prototypes that aim to collectively improve condition self-management. Each prototype helps with the afore-mentioned specific unmet needs

Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 7- 16 years (minimum age is 7 to ensure participants can adequately engage with the prototypes and describe their experience) * Diagnosis of JIA * Fluent in verbal and written English * Access to a computer with an internet connection to facilitate virtual co-design workshops due to the COVID-19 pandemic Exclusion Criteria: * Aged \<7 years or \>16 years * Non-fluent in verbal and written English * Diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) * Children with medically unexplained pain, pain amplification syndromes or other pain disorder * Co-existing joint or muscle disorder other than JIA