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Objectives To identify the breadth of the literature regarding patients’ perceived health information needs related to inflammatory arthritis care. Methods A systematic scoping review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO was performed to identify relevant articles (1990 -2016) examining patients’ perceived needs relating to health information in inflammatory arthritis. Data and themes were identified and categorised and risk of bias assessed. Results Twenty nine studies (11 quantitative, 14 qualitative and 4 mixed methods) from 4121 identified articles were relevant for inclusion. Most focussed on rheumatoid arthritis. Key findings included: (1) Reasons for seeking health information often focussed on gaining ownership over their condition and facilitating self-management. (2) Demographic differences in information needs were inconsistent, but women and younger patients generally reported more needs. (3) Desired information content was broad, and included targeted and practical information covering disease treatment and psychosocial wellbeing. (4) Preferred information delivery method was consultation with a Rheumatologist; however group sessions had advantages for psychosocial issues while written information provided useful supplementation. (5) Barriers to meeting health information needs were around timely access. Conclusions Patients with inflammatory arthritis have high information needs, desiring practical and individualised information. When developing strategies to meet patients’ information needs, aligning patient expectations with delivery methods that are accessible, cost-effective and flexible may help to optimize patient outcomes.

Background Care that is patient-centred is more likely to be sustainable and associated with improved health outcomes. This approach to care requires an understanding of patients' health service needs, yet few studies have directly investigated the perceived health service needs of people with inflammatory arthritis. Objectives To systematically identify the existing literature relating to patient perceived health service needs for inflammatory arthritis. Methods A systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO was conducted (1990–2016). Studies examining patients' perceived needs relating to health services for inflammatory arthritis were identified. Descriptive data regarding study design and methodology were extracted and risk of bias assessed. Findings were collated and categorized thematically. Results 28 of 1405 (16 qualitative, 10 quantitative and 2 mixed-methods) studies were relevant. The main areas of perceived need related to 1) Communication: consumers wanted clear, empathic communication and to be involved with decision-making. 2) Characteristics of ongoing care: adequate consultation length with continuity and timely care were valued. 3) Factors influencing care-seeking included individual attitudes, disease severity, finances and family expectations. 4) Allied health and complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) were perceived as useful by many. The reporting of CAM use to doctors was variable, with several factors contributing to under-reporting. Conclusions This review identified patients' perceived needs for better communication with their health providers, the heterogeneity of influences determining when care is sought and preferences regarding non-pharmacologic therapies. Aligning patients' perceived needs with evidence based therapy for people with inflammatory arthritis will be important in optimizing patient outcomes.