Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Comparative StudyValidation of the rheumatic disease comorbidity index.
There is no consensus on which comorbidity index is optimal for rheumatic health outcomes research. We compared a new Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI) with the Charlson-Deyo Index (CDI), Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI), Elixhauser Total Score (ETS), Elixhauser Point System (EPS), and a simple comorbidity count (COUNT) using a US cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. ⋯ The RDCI and ETS are excellent indices as a means of accounting for comorbid illness when the RA-related outcomes of death and physical functioning are studied using administrative data. The RDCI is a versatile index and appears to perform well with self-report data as well as administrative data. Further studies are warranted to compare these indices using other outcomes in diverse study populations.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Comparative StudyRheumatoid arthritis is associated with higher ninety-day hospital readmission rates compared to osteoarthritis after hip or knee arthroplasty: a cohort study.
To examine whether an underlying diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) impacts the 90-day readmission rates after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). ⋯ RA is a risk factor for 90-day readmission after primary THA or TKA. An increasing risk of readmissions noted in RA in 2011 is concerning and indicates that further studies should examine the reasons for this increasing trend.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Comparative StudyImpact of biologic agents with and without concomitant methotrexate and at reduced doses in older rheumatoid arthritis patients.
To examine whether concomitant methotrexate (MTX) use is associated with better biologic persistence and whether self-administered anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies are used at reduced doses in real-world clinical care settings, not just clinical trials. ⋯ In real-world practice, concomitant MTX was associated with improved persistence on biologic therapy, especially for infliximab users; reduced-dose injectable anti-TNF therapy was used by a substantial proportion of RA patients.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Availability, need for, and use of work accommodations and benefits: are they related to employment outcomes in people with arthritis?
To examine the availability, need, and use of workplace policies for workers with osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory arthritis (IA) and their association with employment outcomes. ⋯ Findings are relevant to workers with arthritis and to employers. Results suggest that individuals with arthritis are unlikely to be a drain on workplace resources. Many individuals do not use benefits/accommodations until needed, and among those using them, there were generally positive relationships with diverse employment outcomes.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Direct hospital cost determinants following hip and knee arthroplasty.
Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) places a significant economic burden on health care resources. This cohort study examines the costs associated with arthroplasty in 827 patients undergoing hip and knee TJA from January 2011 to June 2012 at a single center in Melbourne, Australia. ⋯ This unique study has identified important factors influencing TJA costs and providing guidance for future research and resource allocation.