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Many RA patients did not discuss QoL, emotional issues with physicians
Only 56% or fewer patients with rheumatoid arthritis discussed with their physicians how the disease impacts their quality of life and emotional health, according to patient survey results.
Researchers in Europe recruited 586 patients (mean age, 55.6 years; 77% women) from nine countries with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA; mean age at onset of symptoms, 41 years). Two-hundred seventy patients were biologic naive (mean age, 57.4 years; 78% women), while 316 patients used biologic therapy (mean age, 54.1 years; 77% women). In a telephone survey, patients were asked about their perceptions and management of the disease, including diagnosis, treatment, physician interaction and lifestyle.
More “good” days per month were reported by patients treated with biologics (71%) compared with nonbiologics patients (61%; P≤.05). On survey day, 25% of biologic-naive patients and 19% of patients using biologics reported high pain levels (P≤.05). Fifty-one percent of patients reported that RA controlled their lives, while 35% stated disease progression could not be halted. Sixty-two percent of biologic-naive patients were not aware of biologic therapies despite meeting various eligibility criteria.
Ninety-three percent of patients reported discussing disease symptoms with a physician. Symptom improvement was more likely to be discussed by patients on biologic therapy (64%) than biologic-naive patients (53%; P≤.05). Fifty-six percent of all patients reported discussing RA’s impact on life quality, including the ability to perform daily tasks (44%), social interaction (32%), work (22%) and personal relationships (22%). Thirty-two percent of patients said they discussed their overall emotional health with physicians.
“The results of this large-scale patient survey provide key insights into how patients with moderate to severe RA view their disease and which issues are of critical importance to them,” the researchers concluded. “Understanding these results may allow rheumatologists to widen their own perspectives, looking beyond signs and symptoms to become more aware of their patients’ concerns and unmet needs.”
Disclosure: See the study for a full list of relevant disclosures.