Experiences of Patients With Rheumatic Diseases in the United States During Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: Patients with rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and lupus have increased risk of infection and are treated with medications that may increase this risk yet are also hypothesized to help treat COVID-19. We set out to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of these patients in the United States.

Methods: Participants in a US-wide longitudinal observational registry responded to a supplemental COVID-19 questionnaire by e-mail on March 25, 2020, about their symptoms, COVID-19 testing, health care changes, and related experiences during the prior 2 weeks.

Defining Pain That Does Not Interfere With Activities Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to: 1) characterize the distribution of noninterfering pain (defined as the pain intensity level at which individuals can function without interference) across different aspects of life among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 2) identify clinical characteristics associated with differing levels of noninterfering pain.

Methods: Patients with RA in FORWARD, The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases completed 8 items from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain interference item bank that asked about interference with activities. If subjects reported pain interference, they were asked, "At what level would pain no longer interfere with this activity?" on a scale of 0 to 10.

Acceptability and Content Validity of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Considered From the Perspective of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To consider the acceptability and content validity of patient-reported outcome measures commonly used in rheumatoid arthritis by describing patients' perceptions of patient-reported outcome measures and comparing patients' responses on patient-reported outcome measures with their verbal accounts of disease impacts.

Methods: We used a sequential mixed methods approach, combining analysis of interviews and data from patient-reported outcome measures (from the Health Assessment Questionnaire, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue subscale, the EuroQol 5-domain instrument, the Short Form 36 health survey, and a visual analog scale [VAS] for pain, fatigue, sleep, and patient global assessment of disease activity). Qualitative analysis of patients' perceptions of patient-reported outcome measures informed a subsequent comparison between data from patient-reported outcome measures and verbal accounts of pain, fatigue, sleep, and functional limitations to assess the effectiveness of patient-reported outcome measures in communicating disease impact.

Predicting risk of chemotherapy-induced severe neutropenia: A pooled analysis in individual patients data with advanced lung cancer.

Objectives: Neutropenia is associated with the risk of life-threatening infections, chemotherapy dose reductions and delays that may compromise outcomes. This analysis was conducted to develop a prediction model for chemotherapy-induced severe neutropenia in lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: Individual patient data from existing cooperative group phase II/III trials of stages III/IV non-small cell lung cancer or extensive small-cell lung cancer were included.

Extraction of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Measures From Electronic Health Records Using Automated Processing Algorithms.

Objective: The accurate and efficient collection and documentation of disease activity measures (DAMs) is critical to improve clinical care and outcomes research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study evaluated the performance of an automated process to extract DAMs from medical notes in the electronic health record (EHR).

Methods: An automated text processing system was developed to extract the Disease Activity Score for 28 joints (DAS28) and its clinical and laboratory elements from the Veterans Affairs EHR for patients enrolled in the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) registry.

2019 Update of the American College of Rheumatology Recommended Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity Measures.

Objective: To provide updated American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommendations on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity measurements to facilitate a treat-to-target approach in routine clinical care.

Methods: A working group conducted a systematic literature review from the time of the prior ACR recommendations literature search. Properties of disease activity measures were abstracted, and study quality was assessed using the Consensus-Based Standards for the selection of Health Measurement Instruments 4-point scoring method, allowing for overall level of evidence assessment.

Comparative Profiling of Serum Protein Biomarkers in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), occurring in up to 40% of patients during the course of their disease. Early diagnosis is critical, particularly given the shared clinicoepidemiologic features between advanced rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD (RA-ILD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This study was undertaken to define the molecular basis of this overlap through comparative profiling of serum proteins in RA-ILD and IPF.

Development of Resilience Among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Resilience, the ability to recover from and adapt successfully to stressful situations, is a valuable resource for patients who live with chronic conditions. This qualitative study examines the development of resilience among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We aimed to describe the resilience development process and to describe strategies used by patients to cultivate resilience.

HPV Status and Survival in Non-Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

Background/aim: HPV-mediated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with an increased survival. The prognostic value of HPV status for other primary sites is unclear. We aimed to assess the effect of HPV status on overall survival in patients with non-oropharyngeal head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (non-OPSCC) using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Malondialdehyde-Acetaldehyde Adducts and Antibody Responses in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective: To compare serum anti-malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (anti-MAA) antibody levels and MAA expression in lung tissue from patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) to those found in controls.

Methods: Anti-MAA antibody (IgA, IgM, IgG) concentrations were measured in patients with RA-ILD and compared to those of RA patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and RA patients without lung disease. Associations between anti-MAA antibody with RA-ILD were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.

Changes in Alcohol Use and Associations With Disease Activity, Health Status, and Mortality in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Better disease activity and quality of life have been observed among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who drink alcohol. This association might be explained by reverse causality. We undertook this study to identify predictors of change in alcohol use and to evaluate independent associations between alcohol use and RA activity and mortality.

Sex Differences in the Achievement of Remission and Low Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: In rheumatoid arthritis, whether women are less likely to achieve low disease activity is unclear. We evaluated sex differences in remission and low disease activity, comparing different clinical and imaging measures.

Methods: We used data from the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) registry and from 2 clinical trials.

Association Between Treatment Facility Volume, Therapy Types, and Overall Survival in Patients With Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: There is significant heterogeneity in the treatment of stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study evaluated the therapeutic and survival disparities in patients with stage IIIA NSCLC based on the facility volume using the National Cancer Database.

Methods: Patients with stage IIIA NSCLC diagnosed from 2004 through 2015 were included.

Current and early life weight and associations with mortality in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Obesity is paradoxically associated with a lower risk of mortality in chronic illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Weight loss in patients with poor health, however, may in part explain this observation. This study evaluated the impact of weight early in life and weight loss on mortality in patients with RA.

Association of Baseline Peptidylarginine Deiminase 4 Autoantibodies With Favorable Response to Treatment Escalation in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To determine if the baseline presence of autoantibodies to peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) predicts therapeutic response to biologic and conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in whom methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy was unsuccessful.

Methods: Baseline serum from 282 RA patients in whom MTX monotherapy was unsuccessful was screened for the presence of anti-PAD4 antibodies by immunoprecipitation. Clinical response to either triple DMARD (MTX, sulfasalazine, and hydroxychloroquine) or MTX/etanercept combination therapy was determined at 24 and 48 weeks post-treatment initiation.

Daily Lisinopril vs Placebo for Prevention of Chemoradiation-Induced Pulmonary Distress in Patients With Lung Cancer (Alliance MC1221): A Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Trial.

Purpose: Chemoradiation (CRT) is an integral treatment modality for patients with locally advanced lung cancer. It has been hypothesized that current use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor during CRT may be protective for treatment-related lung damage and pneumonitis.

Methods And Materials: We conducted a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial.

Towards standardized patient reported physical function outcome reporting: linking ten commonly used questionnaires to a common metric.

Objectives: Outcomes obtained using different physical function patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are difficult to compare. To facilitate standardization of physical function outcome measurement and reporting we developed an item response theory (IRT) based standardized physical function score metric for ten commonly used physical function PROMs.

Methods: Data of a total of 16,386 respondents from representative cohorts of patients with rheumatic diseases as well as the Dutch general population were used to map the items of ten commonly used physical function PROMs on a continuous latent physical function variable.

Biologic and Glucocorticoid Use after Methotrexate Initiation in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Biologic therapies can improve disease control for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but may be both overused and underused. We aimed to identify predictors of greater use of biologic therapies and to identify factors associated with persistent glucocorticoid use.

Methods: Using national US Veteran's Affairs databases 2005-2016, we identified patients with RA receiving a first-ever prescription of methotrexate (MTX), requiring ≥ 6 months of baseline data.

Low Persistence Rates in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Triple Therapy and Adverse Drug Events Associated With Sulfasalazine.

Objective: Combination treatments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX) alone include the addition of a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) or the addition of sulfasalazine (SSZ) and hydroxychloroquine to MTX (triple therapy). We compared persistence and adherence rates between these 2 combination therapies in US veterans and report the reasons for discontinuation of combination treatment in these groups.

Methods: Using Veteran's Affairs clinical and administrative data from 2006 to 2012, veterans with RA escalating treatment from MTX to MTX-TNFi or triple therapy were examined for a 12-month period after combination initiation.

A Scoping Review of Transitions, Stress, and Adaptation Among Emerging Adults.

This scoping review examined research on transitions among emerging adults, 18- to 30-year-olds, to identify designs, populations, frameworks, transition types, and transition outcomes. A librarian conducted the search, yielding 2067 articles. Using predefined criteria, teams screened abstracts and reviewed articles, with 82% to 100% interrater agreement.

Development of the American College of Rheumatology Electronic Clinical Quality Measures for Gout.

Objective: Electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) are increasingly used by health registries and third parties to evaluate and improve the quality of health care. To complete these eCQMs, data are extracted from electronic health records (EHRs). The treatment of gout has been an area identified with gaps in quality of care.