Techniques for health status measurement in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Measuring health status in rheumatoid arthritis is complex, and there are a number of methods available. These range from observed measures of function to broader measures of general health status or quality of life which can be assessed by questionnaires which are completed by the patient or administered by a trained interviewer. The choice of measure depends on the purpose of measurement and the context in which the measurement is being made.

A comparative study of outcome in myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders assessed using the Nottingham health profile.

Objective: This study evaluated the comparative impact of myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders on general health using the Nottingham health profile (NHP) as a generic measure of health status.

Methods: A prospective observational study of 113 females with myositis, 142 females with rheumatoid arthritis, 45 females with spinal osteoporosis and 96 females with knee osteoarthritis.

Results: All mean NHP section scores were higher in myositis and other musculoskeletal disorders compared to population mean values.

A patient-derived disease activity score can substitute for a physician-derived disease activity score in clinical research.

Objective: Joint counts have a central role in assessing disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They are usually undertaken by physicians or nurses. We investigated whether joint counts can be devolved to patients and evaluated the use of a patient-derived Disease Activity Score (DAS).

Early referral and outcome in rheumatoid arthritis.

In a cross-sectional study of 200 outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) we tested the hypothesis that early specialist referral within one year of disease onset reduces subsequent functional disability. Early referral was defined as being seen in a specialist unit within one year of the onset of symptoms. Functional outcome was measured using the physical functional section of the full test (NHP) and (HAQ).