Socioeconomic, Disease-Related, and Personal Factors Associated With Participation in Remote Follow-Up in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

To identify socioeconomic, disease-related, and personal factors associated with participation in remote follow-up in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Following the implementation of a patient-reported outcome-based remote follow-up intervention in RA patients in Denmark, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 775 prevalent patients. In 2019, an electronic questionnaire was sent to eligible RA patients, covering health literacy and patient experience regarding involvement and confidence with remote care. Questionnaire data were linked to nationwide registries regarding socioeconomic status, labor market affiliation, and comorbidity level. Associations between registry- and questionnaire-based factors and remote follow-up were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. All 775 patients were included in the registry-based analyses, but only 394 of 646 (61%) completed the questionnaire. No attachment to the labor market or low household income was associated with lower odds of remote follow-up participation (odds ratio [OR] 0.53 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.34-0.83]) and (OR 0.69 [95% CI 0.48-1.00]). Further, a high level of comorbidity was associated with lower odds of remote follow-up participation compared to a low/medium level of comorbidity (OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.34-0.81]). No association was found between health literacy and remote follow-up, but remote follow-up attendees reported more confidence in remote care (OR 1.33 [95% CI 1.21-1.47]). Participation in remote follow-up was associated with attachement to the labor market, household income, degree of comorbidity, and confidence with remote care. Additional research is necessary to investigate whether a larger and more divergent group of RA patients should be considered for inclusion in remote follow-up programs.