J Rheumatol
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Missing Anticitrullinated Protein Antibody Does Not Affect Short-term Outcomes in Early Inflammatory Arthritis: From the Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort.
Anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) is as sensitive as, but more specific than, rheumatoid factor (RF) and is detected earlier in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although part of the RA classification criteria, ACPA testing is not routinely paid for/accessible in all jurisdictions. The effect of missing ACPA testing was studied to determine whether failure to perform ACPA testing could cause a care gap in early inflammatory arthritis. ⋯ There was no care gap in the RF-negative, unknown ACPA group because there were no significant differences in the DAS28, 3-month change in DAS28, or HAQ-DI, despite less treatment. Cost-effectiveness of ensuring ACPA testing availability in suspected RA is unknown because early outcomes did not differ, whether or not ACPA was available.
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Multicenter Study
Patient Expectations and Perceptions of Goal-setting Strategies for Disease Management in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
To identify how patients perceive the broad effect of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on their daily lives and indicate how RA disease management could benefit from the inclusion of individual goal-setting strategies. ⋯ Many patients with RA feel unable to communicate their disease burden and treatment goals, which are critically important to them, to their healthcare provider (HCP). Insights gained from these 2 surveys should help to guide patients and HCP to better focus upon mutually defined goals for continued improvement of management and achievement of optimal care in RA.