Education and behavioral and social research in rheumatology.

In this review, recent research on educational and psychosocial issues in rheumatology are interpreted in light of the prospects for reforms in health care delivery in the United States. Increased emphasis on primary care will prompt a reappraisal of the training of medical students and primary care residents in the diagnosis, management, and referral of patients with rheumatologic conditions. Evidence of the economic benefits of arthritis self-care education has begun to appear and, if it continues to accumulate, will help assure the availability of such interventions for arthritis patients. Finally, further understanding of the psychosocial impact of musculoskeletal pain and impairment will better enable us to prevent the disability that is a large and growing drain on the American economy.