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Rheumatologists found more likely to underestimate clinical status of OA patients than RA patients

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LONDON — Patients with osteoarthritis are more likely to have the severity of their disease underestimated by rheumatologists than patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to results of a study presented here at the EULAR Annual Congress.

“This discordance between physician and patient perception of disease severity is important because of the negative impact it can have on shared decisions concerning the best choice of therapy,” Isabel Castrejón, MD, PhD, assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a press release. “This, in turn, is likely to interfere with treatment compliance and future outcomes.”

In the study, Castrejón and colleagues studied the discordance between physician global estimates and patient global estimates for 243 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and 216 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as found in a rheumatology academic setting. Patients completed a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire with scores for physical function, pain and fatigue; a symptom checklist; and a self-reported joint count. Physicians and patients evaluated the disease severity from zero to 10 on a VAS of a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire and a RheuMetric checklist for physicians. A mean difference of greater than or equal to 2 units between the physician- and patient-rated VAS scores was considered to be a relevant discordance.

Researchers found patient perception of disease severity was greater than physician assessment in 34% of the 243 patients with OA and in 18% of the 216 patients with RA. The assessments of severity were equivalent in 56% of patients with OA and in 67% of patients with RA. Physician evaluation of severity was greater than patient assessment in 10% of patients with OA and in 15% of patients with RA.

Reference:

Castrejón I, et al. Abstract #OP0094. Presented at: EULAR Annual Congress; June 8-11, 2016; London.

Disclosure: Castrejón reports no relevant financial disclosures.