AboutFind out more about RAP-eL

Aim

RAP-eL has been developed to provide practising physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and students of other disciplines with essential disease-specific knowledge and practical clinical practice strategies to help optimally co-manage people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

RAP-eL focuses on supporting knowledge (i.e. ‘knowing what to do’) and practice (i.e. ‘delivering care in practice’). Although RAP-eL focuses on rheumatoid arthritis as the clinical practice example, the resource can be used more generally as a tool to build knowledge and skills in person-centred management for chronic health conditions.

We know from our earlier research that physiotherapists and trainees lack confidence in their disease-specific knowledge and clinical skills in best-practice management of RA. RAP-eL been developed to close those evidence-practice gaps.

RAP-eL is based around a series of e-learning modules intended to assist both physiotherapists in their clinical practice and students in their clinical training who may encounter patients with RA.

RAP-eL works, as evidenced by the results from our randomised controlled trial among practising physiotherapists and from implementation research among physiotherapy and medical students. RAP-eL is used worldwide as a resource for health professionals to improve their knowledge and skills in RA care.

Testimonial

It is a really helpful resource and I will recommend it to my colleagues.
Kayla MacKinnon, Physiotherapist

Project background

Development and funding

RAP-eL has been developed by an interdisciplinary team and based on a research framework. Funding to develop this resource has been provided by the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia; Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA and the Department of Health (Government of Western Australia).

The specific topics selected for inclusion were derived from a Delphi consensus, review of clinical practice guidelines and a professional development needs survey among physiotherapists working in Western Australia.

RAP-eL aligns with WA health policies, including the WA Inflammatory Arthritis Model of Care and the WA Chronic Health Conditions Framework.

Content

The content covers important aspects of the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis itself and of management principles, with a focus on non-pharmacologic care. It provides:

  • Evidence-based information
  • Experiences shared by people with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Assessment and management skills for rheumatoid arthritis
  • Clinically relevant examples

RAP-eL consists of four modules and two case studies. There are many additional available resources that support the content for you to access. Importantly, the modules are not intended to be a comprehensive curriculum for rheumatoid arthritis and completion of these modules does not necessarily imply clinical competence in this area.

Website features

It is best to undertake the modules in sequential order but you can navigate between them in any direction.

Embedded videos highlight particular experiences from those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Additional resources can be accessed via a bibliography at the end of each module and via the resources box on the right of the screen.

Case studies contain two clinical vignettes with accompanying quizzes to test your knowledge.

Our core contributors

Andrew Briggs
Dr. Andrew Briggs PhD, FACP, BSc(PT)Hons

Physiotherapist and Professor, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University. Andrew was project lead for RAP-eL and contributed to the development of the content and evaluation of the website.

Dr Robyn Fary
Dr. Robyn Fary PhD, GradDipManipTherapy, BAppSc(Physiotherapy)

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Senior Lecturer, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University. Robyn contributed to the development of the content and evaluation of the website.

Jason Chua
Jason Chua BSc (Exercise and Sport Sci)

PhD Candidate, Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand. Jason provided support to the team across the various stages of the content and website development.

Helen Slater
Dr. Helen Slater PhD, FACP

Professor, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University and Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist. Helen contributed to the development of the content and evaluation of the website.

Julia Ngeow
Julia Ngeow BSc(Biophysics), Adv Diploma(Video Production)

Independent Filmmaker and Photographer. Julia contributed towards the collection and production of audiovisual content for the website.

Sonia Ranelli
Dr. Sonia Ranelli PhD, MSc, BSc(Physiotherapy)

Lecturer, School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University; Director, Perth Hand and Wrist Rehabilitation. Sonia contributed towards the development of the website content.

Dr Madelynn Chan
Dr. Madelynn Chan (MBBS, MD, FRACP, FAMS)

Consultant Rheumatologist, Tan Tok Seng Hospital, Singapore, and Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nangyang Technological University, Singapore, contributed to the development of the medical management content.

Carly Payne
Carly Payne BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy, MSc

Carly is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist who has contributed to the updating and evaluation of the website content.

Jennie Caldwell
Jennie Caldwell BSc(Hons) Physiotherapy

Senior physiotherapist and APA Pain Physiotherapist, Pain Options. Jennie contributed to revising and updating the website content.

Ben Low
Ben Low Lead Experience Designer

Freelance Lead Experience Designer at squawk designs based in Perth, Western Australia.

Feedback from some of our users

The RAP-eL program was of a high standard from beginning to end. The process was appealing from an investment of time point of view; with the program easily being able to be broken up in blocks. The resource itself was very well presented, an A+ for website design, A+ for ease of use and A+ for content. A very worthwhile experience and program. Thank you.
Luke Brennan, Physiotherapist
I found it very user friendly, informative and clinically relevant. It was the sort of PD that can be applied within a clinical setting very easily. I found the videos of patients useful as well to gain a clinical picture of the disease.
Catherine Saayman, Physiotherapist

Our Partners

Curtin University
Arthritis and Osteoporosis Western Australia
Government of Western Australia. Department of Health

RAP-eL is publicly supported by

Australian Physiotherapy Association
Australian Rheumatology Association
Australian Rheumatology Health Professionals Association
Arthritis Australia
Musculoskeletal Australia

Research supporting RAP-eL

  • Briggs AM, Fary RE, Jordan JE, Slater H. Physiotherapy Management for Rheumatoid Arthritis. In: McQuade J, Mazur M, editors. A Practical Guide to Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis. Shenton Park: Fremantle Press; 2017. p. 129-42. [Link]
  • Briggs AM, Fary RE, Slater H, Bragge P, Chua J, Keen HI, et al. Disease-specific knowledge and clinical skills required by community-based physiotherapists to co-manage patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res. 2012;64(10):1514-26. [Link]
  • Briggs AM, Fary RE, Slater H, Ranelli S, Chan M. Physiotherapy co-management of rheumatoid arthritis: identification of red flags, significance to clinical practice and management pathways. Man Ther. 2013;18(6):583-7. [Link]
  • Fary RE, Slater H, Chua J, Briggs AM. Translating policy into practice for community-based management of rheumatoid arthritis: Targeting professional development needs among physiotherapists. Int J Rheum. 2012;240689:doi:10.1155/2012/240689. [Link]
  • Fary RE, Slater H, Chua J, Ranelli S, Chan M, Briggs AM. Policy-into-practice for rheumatoid arthritis: Randomized controlled trial and cohort study of e-learning targeting improved physiotherapy management. Arthritis Care Res. 2015;67(7):913-22. [Link]
  • Fary RE, Slater H, Jordan JE, Gardner P, Chua J, Payne C, et al. Assessing implementation readiness and success of an e-resource to improve pre-licensure physical therapy workforce capacity to manage rheumatoid arthritis. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47:652-63. [Link]
  • Gardner P, Slater H, Jordan JE, Fary RE, Chua J, Briggs AM. Physiotherapy students' perspectives of online e-learning for interdisciplinary management of chronic health conditions: a qualitative study. BMC Med Educ. 2016;16:62. [Link]
  • Slater H, Briggs AM, Fary RE, Chan M. Upper cervical instability associated with rheumatoid arthritis: what to 'know' and what to 'do'. Man Ther. 2013;18(6):615-9. [Link]
  • Slater H, Deer BF, Merolli MA, Li LC, Briggs AM. Use of eHealth technologies to enable implementation of musculoskeletal models of care: the evidence and practice. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2016;30:483-502. [Link]
  • Slater H, Leech M, Ayoub S, Chua J, Briggs AM. Innovative interdisciplinary e-learning to upskill medical students: insights. Med Educ. 2016;50:574-5. [Link]
  • Kennedy N. RAP-eL: rheumatoid arthritis e-learning for physiotherapists. J Physiother 2017; 63: 61. [Link]