THE ROLE OF REMOTE MONITORING IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic progressive disease that can cause permanent disability in the first 3-5 years from the onset of symptoms in the absence of adequate treatment. To monitor the effectiveness of RA therapy, the "Treat to target" strategy defines the time periods during which the rheumatologist should assess the disease activity and make a decision on subsequent therapy. These are every 3 months until the treatment goal is reached (remission or low RA activity), and every 6 months after. However, living in areas with poor access to medical care, limited mobility, a shortage of rheumatologists in some regions, and a number of other factors limit patients' ability to visit a rheumatologist with the required frequency. Increasing the time intervals between visits to the doctor is associated with inadequate control over the disease and long-term ineffective treatment of patients. In such cases, the risk of severe damage to the musculoskeletal system, early disability, and the quality and duration of life decrease. To improve treatment results in rheumatology, electronic medical records, artificial intelligence, wearable devices with the ability to transmit data, including to mobile devices, are used. It is possible to systematize information about patients, quickly transmit it over long distances, delegate part of the doctor's routine work to "digital assistants" and reduce the time costs of medical personnel using such programs. The purpose of the study is to study the effectiveness of treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis using remote monitoring of the patient's condition using a remote monitoring program.