KEY WORDS arthritis psychometrics self-management stages of change Management of chronic inflammatory arthritis is a multidisciplinary effort, consisting of early and continuous use of medication, exercise, ergonomic measures, and joint arthroplasty for individuals with advanced joint disease (American College of Rheu- matology Subcommittee on Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines [ACRSRAG], 2002). Goals in the manage- ment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are to prevent or control joint damage and subsequent disability, decrease pain, optimize quality of life, and maintain the ability to work (Scott, 2004). Developing effective and efficient strategies to promote self-management is of critical importance to this process. Recent American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guide- lines for managing RA (ACRSRAG) point out that patient education in self-management is an essential component in long-term treatment. Research span- ning 20 years has shown that patient involvement in self-management efforts can significantly affect the health behaviors and health status of people with arthritis (Lorig, Mazonson, & Holman, 1993; Taal, Rasker, & Wiegman, 1996). Success of self-management education and treat- ment during a rehabilitation process frequently de- pends on how ready patients are to make changes in their lifestyle and behaviors (Gard, Rivano, & Grahn, 2005; Lineker, Kennedy, Beaton, Shupak, Bradley, & Ross, 2004). Oftentimes with multidisciplinary arthri- tis treatment programs, patients faced with learning multiple behaviors typically are ready to make changes in one or more parts of their life but not in others. It is not uncommon, for example, to encounter a patient who is prepared to practice stress management and learn therapeutic exercises, but he or she may not be ready to take medications to control disease activity or retrain for a job that is more manageable. Only two studies were found that evaluated arthritis patients’ readiness for self-management (Lineker et al.; Keefe et al., 2000). In the study by Keefe and colleagues, a significant portion of arthritis patients was categorized as “precontemplative,” that is, not intending to make changes toward the new behavior in the near future. Outcome measures in the rheumatic diseases in- clude disease activity, function, pain, quality of life, fatigue, and psychological status and well-being (Fel- son et al., 1995; Lubeck, 2004). Although treatment decisions are based on information provided by these measures, they are not helpful in identifying those precontemplators and contemplators who are not Readiness to Manage Arthritis: A Pilot Study Using a Stages-of- Change Measure for Arthritis Rehabilitation A. Barbara Arthur, MSN RN • Jacek A. Kopec, MD PhD•Alice V. Klinkhoff, MD FRCPC • Paul M. Adam, MSW • Susan L. Carr, PT • Jane M. Prince, BScN RN • Kelly E. Dumont, OT BSc • Claudio R. Nigg, PhD The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the Readiness to Manage Arthritis Questionnaire (RMAQ), a new multibehavior measure of readiness for change in arthritis management. Data were obtained from 46 patients with chronic inflamma- tory arthritis admitted for intensive treatment. Test-retest reliability, correlations with clinical variables and theoretically related constructs, and responsiveness to change were assessed. Test-retest reliability indicated reasonable stability, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.30 to 0.75. A significant association was observed between psychological well-being and readiness status. Clinical variables of disease duration, disease severity, pain, and function were not related to readiness status. Correlations between stages-of-change scores and self-efficacy for managing arthritis symptoms were mostly nonsignificant, with the exception of modest agreement between readiness to engage in physical activity and exercise self-efficacy (0.43). Significant changes were observed in mean RMAQ scores from initial assessment to 12 weeks post- treatment for the behaviors of using joint protection, dealing with frustration, learning about arthritis, engaging in physical activity, and stress management. Findings from this pilot study suggest that the RMAQ has adequate psychometric proper- ties in patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis and can be used to assess an individual’s readiness to adopt important arthritis self-management behaviors.