Patient perspectives and narratives

ABSTRACT

An understanding of telerheumatology is incomplete without considering the perspective of people who are living with rheumatic conditions and their experience using telehealth for the management of their disease. Notably, all but one of the authors of this chapter are patients themselves, individuals diagnosed in childhood or adulthood and living daily with inflammatory arthritis. This chapter first defines what is meant by the term "patient perspective" as it concerns access to, expectations of, and use of telerheumatology. The advantages and disadvantages of telerheumatology from patients' point of view are described, including previous research reporting collective patient satisfaction with telerheumatology. An overview of patient preparation needed for telerheumatology is also offered along with resources that rheumatologists may refer to when helping their patients plan for telemedicine visits. The chapter concludes with patient narratives of telerheumatology encounters during the COVID-19 pandemic. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.