{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T05:08:09Z","timestamp":1792472889689,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]],"date-time":"2025-08-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754611200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:p>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\u2014especially in RA\u2014are 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2025.1630114","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]],"date-time":"2025-08-08T05:25:54Z","timestamp":1754630754000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["From image to insight: leveraging imaging to empower patients with inflammatory arthropathies"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Chiara","family":"Conte","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Menegolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ludovico","family":"De Stefano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Serena","family":"Bugatti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Garifallia","family":"Sakellariou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1136\/ard-2022-223356","article-title":"EULAR recommendations for the management of rheumatoid arthritis with synthetic and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: 2022 update","volume":"82","author":"Smolen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann Rheum Dis"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"394","DOI":"10.1002\/art.21985","article-title":"Rheumatology care: involvement in medical decisions, received information, satisfaction with care, and unmet health care needs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis","volume":"55","author":"Kjeken","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arthritis Care Res"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4590","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/keac261","article-title":"Musculoskeletal ultrasound for treating rheumatoid arthritis to target\u2014a systematic literature review","volume":"61","author":"Silvagni","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rheumatology"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.55563\/clinexprheumatol\/5tf1kq","article-title":"New developments in ultrasound in rheumatology: innovative tools and promising applications","volume":"39","author":"Sakellariou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Clin Exp Rheumatol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2020.00141","article-title":"Differential diagnosis of inflammatory arthropathies by musculoskeletal ultrasonography: a systematic literature review","volume":"7","author":"Sakellariou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1080\/03009742.2021.1901416","article-title":"A musculoskeletal ultrasound program as an intervention to improve disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs adherence in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial","volume":"51","author":"Tan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Scand J Rheumatol"},{"key":"ref7","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Patient engagement: a consumer-centered model to innovate healthcare","author":"Graffigna","year":"2016"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1278","DOI":"10.1136\/annrheumdis-2021-220249","article-title":"2021 EULAR recommendations for the implementation of self-management strategies in patients with inflammatory arthritis","volume":"80","author":"Nikiphorou","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann Rheum Dis"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2010.02.014","article-title":"Effectiveness of individual resource-oriented joint protection education in people with rheumatoid arthritis. 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