Table 1_From image to insight: leveraging imaging to empower patients with inflammatory arthropathies.docx

Recent advancements in the management of inflammatory arthritis have shifted the focus toward patient-centered care, with increasing emphasis on patient education, engagement, and treatment adherence. At the same time, the growing use of imaging techniques offers novel opportunities to enhance communication between healthcare professionals and patients. This review examines current evidence on how visual tools and imaging modalities can improve patient understanding, foster engagement, and strengthen adherence in inflammatory arthritis. Barriers to adherence often arise from low health literacy and entrenched beliefs about illness and medications. However, visual communication has shown promise in addressing these challenges. Research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and gout suggest that showing personal or illustrative images can increase disease insight, reinforce treatment necessity, and encourage shared decision-making. Among imaging techniques, musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) stands out for its real-time use and interactive potential. Although findings—especially in RA—are encouraging, the overall evidence remains limited, with lack of research in spondyloarthritis and scarce data on long-term outcomes. Further studies are needed to develop standardized protocols and identify patient subgroups most likely to benefit. Ultimately, integrating imaging into patient education may be a valuable strategy to improve care experiences and outcomes in inflammatory arthritis.

近年来，炎症性关节炎管理领域的最新进展已将关注重心转向以患者为中心的照护模式，愈发重视患者教育、患者参与度及治疗依从性。与此同时，成像技术的日益普及为加强医护人员与患者之间的沟通提供了全新契机。本文综述了当前相关证据，探讨视觉工具与成像模态如何提升炎症性关节炎患者的疾病认知、促进患者参与并强化治疗依从性。治疗依从性障碍往往源于健康素养不足，以及对疾病与药物的固有认知偏差，但视觉传播在应对这些挑战方面已展现出良好前景。针对类风湿关节炎（RA）、幼年特发性关节炎及痛风的相关研究表明，展示患者个人影像或示意性图像可提升患者对疾病的认知、强化治疗必要性认知，并推动共同决策的实施。在各类成像技术中，肌肉骨骼超声（MSUS）凭借其实时成像能力与交互潜能脱颖而出。尽管相关研究结果（尤其是针对RA的研究）令人鼓舞，但整体证据仍较为有限，目前缺乏针对脊柱关节炎的相关研究，且长期结局相关数据匮乏。未来仍需开展更多研究，以制定标准化操作流程，并筛选出最能从中获益的患者亚群。最终，将成像技术融入患者教育，或可成为改善炎症性关节炎患者照护体验与临床结局的有效策略。