Influence of an educational seminar on use of disease activity measurements by rheumatologists in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine the variables underlying clinical decisions made by rheumatologists when treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to determine the effect of an educational seminar on the use of quantitative disease activity measurements in clinical practice in this population of physicians.

Methods: Practicing rheumatologists were surveyed on the variables affecting their clinical management of patients with RA by questionnaire. Physicians were divided into 2 groups: the first comprised attenders (Group A) to an educational seminar in the use of the quantitative disease activity measurements in patient management, while the second group comprised nonattenders (Group NA).