Influence of patient characteristics on perceived risks and willingness to take a proposed anti-rheumatic drug.

Background: The causes of the underutilization of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not fully known, but may in part, relate to individual patient factors including risk perception. Our objective was to identify the determinants of risk perception (RP) in RA patients and predictors of their willingness to take a proposed DMARD (DMARD willingness).

Methods: A cross-sectional mail survey of RA patients in a community rheumatology practice.