Perceptions in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Comparative Study Between Patients and Their Close Families.

Objective: To compare perceptions of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to those of their families regarding pain and subjective experience of the disease.

Methods: It was a monocentric study, including 120 RA patients (according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria). The questionnaires were developed during meetings of RA patients, rheumatologists, and methodologists while referring to the literature.