Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology Research Articles

Assessment of Drug Adherence and Adverse Effects of Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDs) in Patients of Rheumatoid Arthritis Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Adherence to drug treatment is one of the key factors in treating chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to maintain remission and prevent functional disability. Poor medication adherence is directly associated with a worse prognosis and an increase in healthcare utilization, adding to a financial burden. Hence, the present study was proposed to assess drug adherence in diagnosed patients of RA attending a tertiary care hospital. The study was initiated after obtaining institutional ethics committee permission, and written informed consent was requested from all the eligible patients before their enrolment. This cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted on RA patients attending the rheumatology outpatient department. The patient’s adherence to the drugs prescribed was assessed using the 19-item Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR), and the correlation betweendrug adherencewithvariousdemographic,disease,andmedication-relatedvariableswasstudied. After screening 103 patients, 75 patients fulfilling the selection criteria were enrolled, and theirdatawasanalyzed. The adherence measured using the CQR score was in therange of 54.39% to 68.42%, with a mean CQR score of 62.27 ± 2.76.Anegative correlation was found between the CQR score and the number of ADRs (r=-0.12,p>0.05) and age (r=-0.06, p>0.05). A positive correlation was found between the CQR score and variables like sex, education, and number of medications, but none were statistically significant. Unsatisfactory compliance was evident in the present study. Therefore, integrating drug treatment with strategies to improve patient adherence may improve clinical outcomes and quality of life, reducing healthcare costs.

The correlation between 4 adherence measurements methods in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using methotrexate.

Methotrexate (MTX) is the cornerstone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, adherence to MTX therapy is not optimal, and instruments to assess medication nonadherence are warranted. To date there is no consensus on the best method to determine adherence to MTX. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between adherence assessed with a Medication Event Monitoring System (MEMS) vs. pill count, MTX-polyglutamate (PG) concentration and Compliance Questionnaire-Rheumatology (CQR) in patients with established RA. Second, the correlations between these methods and the Disease Activity Scores of 28 joints (DAS28) were examined. Adult RA patients currently treated with MTX were included. Multivariable linear and logistic regression were used, with adherence assessed with MEMS as dependent variable vs. pill count, MTX-PG concentrations, CQR as independent variables and DAS28 vs. each of the 4 adherence measurements. Covariates were included, such as comedication, age and use of corticosteroids. In total, 190 consecutive RA patients were included. Pill count was correlated with adherence assessed with MEMS (linear regression, β =0.588, 95% confidence interval =0.255-0.921, P< .001), whereas CQR and MTX-PGs were not. Logistic regression confirmed the correlation between dichotomized adherence and pill count only (β =4.47, 95% confidence interval =1.31-7.64, P= .006). No other correlations were found, either for all adherence outcomes or DAS28. Measuring adherence with MEMS is correlated with pill count, whereas other methods were not correlated with MEMS or with DAS28. Pill count can be used to estimate adherence to MTX therapy, in case MEMS is not achievable.

Exploring factors influencing patient activation in Saudi rheumatoid arthritis patients: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey-Results from the COPARA study.

To evaluate patient activation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using patient activation measure 13 (PAM-13) on a national level in Saudi Arabia. A national survey was administered across multiple centers in Saudi Arabia. Patient activation was assessed using the PAM-13. The Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR) and the RA Impact of Disease (RAID) tool were also administered. The data from the survey were analyzed, and the results were stratified based on activation level. All factors affecting patient activation were explored and reported. A total of 1241 participants were included. Most of the patients were females (85%), the mean age was 47 (±14), and most patients lived in the central region (47%). The mean (±standard deviation) patient activation score was 578.7 (±13.0). Patient activation was affected by multiple factors: demographic characteristics, such as education, with a beta value of 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64 ̶1.58, p < .001). Higher CQR scores were associated with higher activation levels, with a beta value of 2.61 (95% CI 0.80 ̶4.44, p = .005), and higher RAID scores were associated with lower activation levels, with a beta value of 3.13 (95% CI 1.36 ̶4.91, p = .001). Patient activation was affected by several demographic characteristics and the impact of RA. A higher activation may improve compliance. Future longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings and should explore the underlying mechanism of these effects.

Face validity and reliability test of the Danish version of the compliance questionnaire rheumatology in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis

BackgroundSupporting adherence to medication is an essential part of the treatment and care of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR) measures adherence in rheumatic diseases through 19 items covering drug-taking behaviour to identify the reasons for adhering to treatment and the factors that contribute to suboptimal adherence. The objective of this study was to present the translation of the CQR into Danish and the face validity and reliability test.MethodsThe CQR was translated into Danish according to international guidelines, followed by a face validity test among 10 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 2009. The test–retest reliability of the Danish CQR was evaluated in 49 patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 2020 - 2021 using the standard error of the measurement (SEM) converted into the minimally detectable change (MDC) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were administered with a minimum of 10 days between assessments.ResultsThe participants in the reliability test had a mean age of 57.4 years (SD 16.1) and a mean disease duration of 1.13 years (range 2 months–2 years). The mean CQR score in the test and retest was 62.7 (confidence interval (CI) 58.8; 66.6) and 62.5 (CI 58.9; 66.1), respectively, with a SEM of 8.59 (7.16; 10.73) and an MDC of 16.83. A satisfactory test–retest reliability was confirmed by an ICC value of 0.79 (CI 0.68; 0.89).ConclusionThe Danish CQR has satisfactory test–retest reliability in patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and is considered a reliable tool to measure adherence in this group.

Adherence to treatment and associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional study from Iran.

The aim of this study is to evaluate adherence to treatment and its related risk factors among a sample of rheumatoid arthritis patients (RA) attending the rheumatology outpatient clinic of Kermanshah university of medical sciences. In this cross-sectional study, RA patients were asked to complete the Morisky questionnaire and 19-item compliance questionnaire for rheumatology (CQR). Patients were divided into two groups: adherent and non-adherent to treatment, based on the CQR questionnaire results. Demographic and clinical characteristics (age, sex, marital status, education level, economical condition, occupational status, place of residence, underlying diseases, type, and number of drugs) were compared between the two groups to investigate possible risk associations for poor adherence. 257 patients completed the questionnaires (mean age: 43.22, 80.2% female). 78.6% were married, 54.9% were housekeepers, 37.7% had tertiary education, 61.9% had moderate economic status, and 73.2% were residents of an urban area with a large population. Prednisolone was the most commonly used drug followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulfasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, and methotrexate. The mean score of the Morisky questionnaire was 5.528 (standard deviation=1.79). 105 patients (40.9%) were adherent to treatment based on the CQR questionnaire. High education level (college or university) was correlated with non-adherence to treatment [27 (25.71%) vs 70 (46.05%), p=0.004]. We concluded that the prevalence of non-adherence to treatment is 59.1% in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Kermanshah, Iran. Having a higher education level is a risk factor for poor treatment adherence. Other variables could not predict treatment adherence.

Adherence to treatment of children and adolescents recently diagnosed with auto-immune Rheumatic Diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesAdherence problems have a great impact on auto-immune Rheumatic Diseases (AIRD). The COVID-19 pandemic may have worsened treatment adherence. The aims of this study were to measure treatment adherence to identify an earlier risk of poor adherence and measure families’ satisfaction with the health service during the pandemic. MethodsProspective observational study with 50 parents/children and adolescents with recent AIRD diagnosis. Initially, they answered questions (demographic data, disease) and completed the Pediatric Rheumatology Adherence Questionnaire (PRAQ), after 6 months they completed the Morisky-Green Test (MGT), Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ), Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR-19) and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Questionnaire 3.0 (PedsQlTM-SSS). The patient's medical records from the previous 12 weeks were reviewed for global and medication adherence data. ResultsThe mean global adherence score was 94.3 ± 10.0, for medication adherence 97.3 ± 9.3, and for PRAQ questionnaire 5.2 ± 1.5. The authors observed agreement between MGT, BMQ, CQR-19, PedsQLTM-SSS scores and medication adherence rate, but not with global adherence rate. There were no associations between demographic characteristics, disease diagnosis, and adherence. No associations between PRAQ scores and values and global/medication adherence rates were observed. No variables were shown to be predictors of good adherence. The mean PedsQLTM-SSS rate was 92.1 ± 6.8. ConclusionThe high values of MGT, BMQ, CQR-19 questionnaire scores were in agreement with the medication adherence rate. Despite the pandemic, the global and medication adherence rates were good. It was not possible to demonstrate the PRAQ's predictive power. The authors weren't able to establish an association between families’ satisfaction and treatment adherence rates.

Quality of life, disease activity and preferences for administration routes in rheumatoid arthritis: a multicentre, prospective, observational study.

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL), disease activity, compliance to treatment, patient and physician preferences for route of administration (RoA), status of health and pain in RA patients starting advanced treatments or needing a switch, and the factors associated with patient preferences.MethodsA multicentre, prospective, observational and 1-year follow-up study was conducted, between 2015 and 2020, in adult RA patients using advanced treatments for the first time or needing a switch in their current treatments. All the data collected were entered into electronic case report forms. DAS in 28 joints with ESR [DAS28-4(ESR)], EuroQol 5-Dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D), HAQ Disability Index (HAQ-DI), Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR-19), Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Instrument (WPAI) and Patient Global Assessment-Visual Analogue Scale (PGA-VAS) questionnaires were used for longitudinal assessments.ResultsFour hundred and fifty-nine patients were enrolled. Three hundred and eight patients (67.1%) attended the final study visit at 12 months and were included for comparative analyses. Irrespective of RoA, the disease activity and QoL improved significantly at 12 months, whereas compliance worsened. At baseline and 12 months, EQ-5D and DAS28-4(ESR) scores were significantly correlated (P < 0.001). The WPAI scores changed significantly in favour of better outcomes over 12 months after initiation of advanced treatment or switching (P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients preferred an oral RoA, in comparison to physicians (53.6% vs 31.4%; P < 0.001). Patient and physician RoA preferences were independent of gender, age, disease duration, advanced treatment type and the EQ-5D-3L, DAS28-4(ESR), HAQ-DI, PGA-VAS and CQR-19 scores at baseline.ConclusionThe oral route was more frequently preferred by patients compared with physicians, although patients’ preference rates showed a slight increase towards the end of the treatment, which might be an important factor for RA outcomes. Better control of disease activity and QoL were achieved at 12 months, regardless of RoA.

Validity and Reliability of the Thai Version of the 19-Item Compliance-Questionnaire-Rheumatology.

PurposeTo evaluate the psychometric properties and feasibility of the Thai version of Compliance-Questionnaire-Rheumatology (CQR)-19.Patients and MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in the Rheumatology clinic of Siriraj hospital from October 2020 to March 2022. Literate patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and aged ≥ 18 years old were included. Participants completed the Thai CQR-19 at baseline and during a follow-up visit. A pill count at the follow-up visit indicating that ≤ 80% of prescribed pills were taken was defined as poor compliance. Feasibility was assessed by the time to completion and the number of missing questions.Results156 participants were enrolled and 88% were in good compliance. The sensitivity of the CQR-19 to detect good compliance was 78.2% and the specificity was 27.8%. The Thai CQR-19 showed moderate agreement (Gwet’s AC1= 0.61, p < 0.01) with 72.2% agreement against pill counts. The Thai CQR-19 had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.83) with moderate test-retest reliability (intraclass coefficients = 0.64, 95% CI 0.54–0.73; p < 0.05). There was a weak correlation between the Thai CQR-19 and disease activity (rs = 0.20, p < 0.05), and no correlation with functional disability (rs = 0.09, p = 0.25). The median (IQR) completion time was 4.42 (3.25–6.16) minutes and 114 (73%) completed all 19 questions.ConclusionThe Thai version of CQR-19 is a valid and reliable tool to assess medication compliance in Thai patients with RA. To ensure completeness and accuracy, this questionnaire may be administered by interview.

Predictors of not Achieving Remission or Low Disease Activity in Axial Spondyloarthritis Patients from Middle Eastern Countries: A Prospective, Multicenter, Real-world Study.

ObjectivesWe sought to identify the predictors of not achieving remission or low disease activity (LDA) among axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients in four Middle Eastern countries.MethodsIn this multicenter prospective real-world study, adult patients with axial SpA diagnosed clinically during January–June 2019, and who met the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria for axial SpA, were enrolled from the participating centers of four countries—Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Patient demographics, disease history, comorbidities, treatment, and compliance data were obtained at baseline. The primary outcome was to determine the percentage of patients who did not achieve the clinical target of remission or LDA as indicated by Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) < 2.1 after a three-month follow-up period. Secondary outcomes were assessing the demographic and clinical characteristics of ‘achievers’ and ‘non-achievers’ and to study the predictors of ASDAS-CRP ≥ 2.1 in different clinical subsets.ResultsThe participants were 309 patients of both sexes, with a median age of 43 years. Women had a slight majority (53.7%). At the end of the study, 72.2% of patients achieved the clinical target of ASDAS-CRP < 2.1. Non-achievers were significantly more likely to have enthesitis, positive human leukocyte antigen B 27 status, psoriasis, peripheral involvement, fibromyalgia, and a lower score on Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology (CQR). Multiple regression analysis showed that low CQR score, enthesitis, psoriasis, and family history of SpA were independent predictors of ASDAS-CRP ≥ 2.1.ConclusionsThis real-world study suggests that low compliance, positive human leukocyte antigen B 27 status, peripheral involvement, and presence of enthesitis, psoriasis, and fibromyalgia are predictors of not achieving remission or LDA in axial SpA patients.

Adherence to Treatment with Tofacitinib in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Daily Clinical Practice.

To evaluate the adherence to treatment with tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using two versions of the self-questionnaire Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology, CQR19 and CQR5, to determine the variables associated with adherence to tofacitinib and to compare the performance of both questionnaires. A cross-sectional study was carried out. We included patients ≥18years old, with RA (ACR/EULAR criteria 2010) under treatment with tofacitinib. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, treatment and data on patient evaluation. All the patients completed self-questionnaires CQR19 and CQR5. Descriptive statistics. T-test or Mann Whitney to compare the continuous variables, chi2 test or Fisher's exact test for the categorical ones. Kappa concordance index. Multiple logistic regression. We included 52 patients, 82.7% women, with a median (m) age of 57.7years, disease duration m 16years, 63.5% had comorbidities. Of the patients, 86.5% were treated with tofacitinib (5mg BID) and 48% received tofacitinib as monotherapy. The median time of tofacitinib treatment was 13months, 42.3% suspended treatment, and only one patient permanently stopped treatment due to lack of provision. Median CQR19 was 89.5%, and 84.6% had an adherence ≥80%. The variables significantly associated with adherence ≥80% were the presence of comorbidities (P=.014) and older age (P=.033). Considering the CQR5, a similar percentage of patients (82.7%) were adherents to treatment, however, the concordance with CQR19 was low. In the multivariate analysis, older age was the only variable independently associated with good adherence to treatment. Treatment adherence to tofacitinib was very good for both presentations. Older age was associated with higher adherence. The agreement between the questionnaires CQR19 and CQR5 was low.

P031 Adherence with Methotrexate in Tunisian Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Patients

Abstract Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease in the pediatric population. Methotrexate (MTX) has been considered as the cornerstone of treatment of poly and oligoarticular subtypes of JIA. However, this treatment is supposed to be for long term, which may involve an obstacle for adherence. The aims of the study were to evaluate adherence of Tunisian JIA patients to MTX and to identify factors associated with high adherence to MTX. Methods A cross-sectional study including patients with confirmed JIA diagnosis, according to the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria, was performed. Demographic data as well as disease characteristics were obtained from medical records. Laboratory markers including erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were collected. Adherence was measured, for patients under MTX for &amp;gt;3 months, using the 5-item Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR5) (1). Patients were divided into two groups: group 1: High adherence (HA) for patients having a CQR5 ≥ 80% and group 2: low adherence (LA) for patients having CQR5 &amp;lt; 80%. A p inferior to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The study included 29 patients (10 males and 19 females) with a mean age at disease onset of 9.1 ± 3.4 years. The mean disease duration was 61 ± 79 months [7–336]. JIA subtypes were in decreasing order of frequency as follows: enthesitis-related arthritis (n = 13), oligoarticular (n = 8), Polyarticular without rheumatoid factor (n = 4), Polyarticular with rheumatoid factor (n = 2), systemic (n = 1) and, psoriatic arthritis (n = 1). A biologic inflammatory syndrome was found in 48.3% (n = 14) of cases. The mean ESR and CRP were 20 mm/h ± 11.3 [3–98] and 5 ± 17.8 mg/l [0–56] respectively. Nineteen (65.5%) patients had coxitis. Overall, 55.17% of patients (n = 16) were treated with MTX with a mean weekly dose of 9.2 ± 3.2 mg [5–15]. MTX was orally administrated in all patients. NSAIDs and prednisone were prescribed in 51.7% (n = 15) and 17.2% (n = 5) of cases respectively. The MTX was associated with biological DMARDs in five patients (17.2%). It was about Etanercept in 4 patients and Tocilizumab in 1 patient. Mean CQR5 score was 70.8% ± 18 [25–100]. Only seven patients (43.8%) showed high adherence to MTX. The statistical study revealed no difference between HA and LA in term of gender (P = 0.84), age at disease onset (P = 0.39), disease duration (P = 0.9), prednisone use (P = 0.22), the occurrence of coxitis (P = 0.2), ESR (P = 0.83) and CRP (P = 0.033) rates. Conclusion In this study, less than one half of JIA patients were highly adherent to MTX according to CQR5. Low adherence should be considered before declaring MTX treatment failure.

Adherence to treatment with tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in daily clinical practice

ObjectivesTo evaluate the adherence to treatment with Tofacitinib in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) using two versions of the self-questionnaire Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology, CQR19 and CQR5, to determine the variables associated with adherence to Tofacitinib and to compare the performance of both questionnaires. Material and methodsA cross-sectional study was carried out. We included patients ≥18 years old, with RA (ACR/EULAR criteria 2010) under treatment with Tofacitinib. Sociodemographic data, clinical characteristics, treatment and data on patient evaluation. All the patients completed self-questionnaires CQR19 and CQR5. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics. t-Test or Mann Whitney to compare the continuous variables, Chi2 test or Fisher's exact test for the categorical ones. Kappa concordance index. Multiple logistic regression. ResultsWe included 52 patients, 82.7% women, with a median (m) age of 57.7 years, disease duration m 16 years, 63.5% had comorbidities. Of the patients, 86.5% were treated with Tofacitinib (5 mg BID) and 48% received Tofacitinib as monotherapy. The median time of Tofacitinib treatment was 13 months, 42.3% suspended treatment, and only one patient permanently stopped treatment due to lack of provision. Median CQR19 was 89.5% and 84.6% had an adherence ≥ 80%. The variables significantly associated with adherence ≥ 80% were the presence of comorbidities (p = .014) and older age (p = .033). Considering the CQR5, a similar percentage of patients (82.7%) were adherents to treatment, however, the concordance with CQR19 was low. In the multivariate analysis, older age was the only variable independently associated with good adherence to treatment. ConclusionsTreatment adherence to Tofacitinib was very good for both presentations. Older age was associated with higher adherence. The agreement between the questionnaires CQR19 and CQR5 was low.

Depression in adults with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective cohort study

Purpose The COVID-19 outbreak has profoundly changed daily life and how patients access medical care. Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients, who frequently develop chronic interstitial lung disease (ILD), are at high risk for respiratory infection and are also susceptible to psychological disorders. This study explored depression, anxiety, and compliance among IIM-ILD patients and the association of these factors with disease status during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Methods A total of 94 IIM-ILD patients were included in the analysis. Baseline demographic and disease-related information was collected using the medical records system. The following questionnaires were used: Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Compliance-Questionnaire- Rheumatology (CQR), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The questionnaires were administered before, during, and after the COVID-19 outbreak in China by a rheumatology nurse through We-Chat. Results: During the COVID-19 outbreak, a significantly deteriorated depression status and reduced treatment compliance were found among these patients. Female gender and a dosage of greater than 15 mg of glucocorticoid per day were independently associated with depression, while social support was found to be negatively correlated with depression. Clinical follow-up revealed an overall disease flare rate of 17% (16/94). Patients with depression during the COVID-19 outbreak had a significantly higher disease flare rate than those without depression. Conclusion: Because depression negatively impacts patient quality of life and recovery from primary disease, patients with rheumatic disease should receive an early evaluation, appropriate treatment, and long-term monitoring for depression.

Medication adherence is influenced by resilience in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Evidence on the relationship between resilience and medication adherence in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients is lacking. We aimed to examine the impact of resilience on medication adherence in SLE patients. In a cross-sectional analysis SLE outpatients were assessed for resilience (Connor-Davison Resilience Scale, CD-RISC), depressive symptoms (CES-D) and medication adherence (Compliance Questionnaire for Rheumatology [CQR]). The disease activity index (mexSLEDAI) and damage (SLICC Damage Index) were administered. Factors independently associated with adherence were identified using multivariate logistic regression. Of the 157 patients, 152 (96.8%) were female with a median age of 45.9 (IQR: 39.0-55.5) years and disease duration of 14 (IQR: 10.0-19.0) years. Medication adherence (CQR ≥80%) and depressive symptoms were found in 74.5% and 43.9% of patients, respectively. Adherent patients had a lower CES-D score and a higher CD-RISC score. In the multivariate analysis adjusting for demographic and clinical confounders, resilience and older age protected against non-adherence (OR 0.96, [95% CI 0.94-0.99] and OR 0.96 [95% CI 0.93-0.98], respectively). In SLE patients, resilience and older age, which possibly associated with better medication adherence, may protect against non-adherence.

Compliance with oral disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Colombian experience

IntroductionThe use of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is essential in order to achieve and maintain adequate disease control, and thus preventing irreversible functional damage. However, the rate of adherence to drug therapy has been reported to be between 20% and 107%. This variability may be due to the measurement methods used in the different studies. ObjectiveTo test the overall medication adherence to oral treatment with DMARD in patients with RA using the self-report Spanish version Compliance-Questionnaire-Rheumatology (CQR) and to identify potential factors associated with non-adherence. MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted that included patients older than 18 years with RA diagnosed according to the ACR-EULAR 2010 criteria. They also had to have been prescribed oral DMARD for the previous 3 months, and had been seen by a rheumatologist in the last year. Patients completed the CQR to assess adherence, and were asked about disease knowledge, perception about treatment, side effects, Charlson Comorbidity Index, global index of social support, number of medications and DMARD prescribed, access to health resources, and disease activity measured by DAS 28 or CDAI. Good adherence was defined as a cut-off point of CQR > 80 or non-activity (remission or low activity). In the search for factors associated with adherence, the data were analysed using means of median and interquartile range, as well as frequencies and proportions. The comparison between adherent and non-adherent groups was performed using absolute comparisons, with the Mann-Whitney test for continuous, and chi-squared (for expected values> 5), or Fisher (for expected values ​​<5) tests for categorical variables, taking as a level of significance a value of p < 0.05. OR and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used. ResultsOf 170 participants included, 50% (n = 85) had a value greater than 80% (good drug adherence). Most patients had remission (60.6%) or low disease activity (17%). The subsequent analysis showed statistically significant association between adherence measured by CQR and the number of friends (P = .0012). An association was also found between disease activity as an indirect indicator of adherence and the global social support index (P = .004). ConclusionThis study found a similar level of adherence to that reported in other populations, which could be due to the behaviour of our population, although the authors perceived difficulties reported by patients in understanding the statements of the questionnaire at all levels of education. Only the social support variables had a statistically significant relationship with adherence, which had also been described in the literature. Further studies are required to evaluate the operational characteristics of the CQR in our population.

Challenges in Applying Treat to Target Strategy in Sample of Iraqi Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective:To identify barriers and factors that might hamper RA patients from achieving clinical target.Patients and methods:A total of 100 consecutive RA patients (95 females: 5 males) were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Data were collected at one point in time using questionnaire and interview. Demographic data, disease duration, functional classes, medications, and compliance assessment on the current treatments by using the Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR19) were recorded for all patients. Achievement of clinical target was defined using the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI; score ≤ 10). The main barriers preventing reaching the clinical target were reported for all the patients with moderate to high disease activity.Results:Among 100 patients with a recorded CDAI, 58 patients (58%) had not achieved the clinical target (CDAI > 10), for whom the barriers to disease control were recorded. The recorded barriers were drug unavailability/interruption (34.5%), under-treatment (20.7%), insufficient time to assess treatment response to recently initiated DMARDs (12.1%), non- inflammatory musculoskeletal pain (10.3%), had no further drug option available (10.3%), irreversible joint damage (5.2%), and other or non- identified barriers (6.9%). All patients completed CQR-19 items and poor compliance was identified as a predictor of high disease activity (P=0.001). Disease duration had a strong effect on the likelihood of patient response (P=0.035). There was a lower response rate among current smokers (P=0.007). Additionally, functional impairment appeared to be associated with high disease activity (P=0.0001). A significantly larger portion of low disease activity patients were presently on biological treatments (P=0.037) while steroid use had been associated with high disease activity (P=0.03). Age, gender, and Body Mass Index did not predict response to treatment.Conclusions:This study identified interruption of biologic drugs supply as a large barrier to RA treatment target. The data supported improved outcomes among patients receiving biological treatments. Additionally, certain factors were associated with high disease activity including longer disease duration, functional impairment, smoking, non-adherence, and steroid use.

Adherence to and patient's knowledge of self-management of subcutaneous biologic therapy in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases: results of a multicentre cross-sectional study.

Non-adherence to biologic therapy is an issue in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRDs) and might be related to poor patient knowledge of the risk of these therapies. Our aim here was to evaluate the level of patient adherence to and knowledge of self-care safety skills for biologic therapy. This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study in which out-patients visited an office- or hospital-based rheumatologist. All the patients received subcutaneous biologic therapy for CIRDs. We collected data on: 1. the level of CIRD patient adherence to current subcutaneous biologic therapy using both the self-administered Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology 5 items (CQR5) and a simple adherence question; 2. patients' knowledge of self-management of biologic therapy by the self-administered BIOSECURE questionnaire; 3. sources of information related to biologic therapy. In all, 285 patients (rheumatoid arthritis, n=103; spondyloarthritis, n=153; psoriatic arthritis, n=25) were enrolled by 19 rheumatologists. The mean (SD) biologic therapy duration was 5.9 (4.9) years. Adherence to the current biologic therapy was high (79.3% and 57.5% according to the CQR5 questionnaire and the adherence question, respectively). Level of knowledge of self-care safety skills (median BIOSECURE score 71) was in the acceptable range. Level of adherence and level of knowledge of self-care safety skills for biologic therapy were not associated. Patients declared that the main sources of information were their rheumatologist (92.6%) and the rheumatology team (30.5%). According to the patients' estimation, adherence to biologic therapy and the level of knowledge of self-care safety skills related to biologic therapy are acceptable, and these domains are not related (e.g. level of adherence and level of knowledge of risks).

Measurement Properties of Existing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures on Medication Adherence: Systematic Review

BackgroundMedication adherence is essential for improving the health outcomes of patients. Various patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been developed to measure medication adherence in patients. However, no study has summarized the psychometric properties of these PROMs to guide selection for use in clinical practice or research.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the quality of the PROMs used to measure medication adherence.MethodsThis study was guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guidelines. Relevant articles were retrieved from the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) databases. The PROMs were then evaluated based on the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines.ResultsA total of 121 unique medication adherence PROMs from 214 studies were identified. Hypotheses testing for construct validity and internal consistency were the most frequently assessed measurement properties. PROMs with at least a moderate level of evidence for ≥5 measurement properties include the Adherence Starts with Knowledge 20, Compliance Questionnaire-Rheumatology, General Medication Adherence Scale, Hill-Bone Scale, Immunosuppressant Therapy Barrier Scale, Medication Adherence Reasons Scale (MAR-Scale) revised, 5-item Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS-5), 9-item MARS (MARS-9), 4-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-4), 8-item MMAS (MMAS-8), Self-efficacy for Appropriate Medication Adherence Scale, Satisfaction with Iron Chelation Therapy, Test of Adherence to Inhalers, and questionnaire by Voils. The MAR-Scale revised, MMAS-4, and MMAS-8 have been administered electronically.ConclusionsThis study identified 121 PROMs for medication adherence and provided synthesized evidence for the measurement properties of these PROMs. The findings from this study may assist clinicians and researchers in selecting suitable PROMs to assess medication adherence.

Adherence to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in adult patients with rheumatic diseases

The emergence of biologics has revolutionized the management of refractory rheumatic diseases (RD) by improving clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, the impact of non-adherence to the emerging therapy can limit their potential benefit. The objective of our study was to evaluate biologics' adherence in Tunisian patients with RD and to assess the determinants of non-adherence. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) treated with bDMARDs (biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) for at least three months. Socio-demographic, clinical and biological data were collected. Biologic adherence was assessed using the compliance questionnaire for rheumatology (CQR). One hundred patients with RD (45 RA and 55 SpA) were collected. Non-adherence to bDMARDs was found in 70% of cases. In univariate analysis, non-adherence to bDMARDs was statistically related to the absence of coxitis (P=0.003), to a low ASDAS-CRP (ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score) prior to the initiation of the bDMARDs (P=0.01), to a rate of administration of bDMARDs less than one injection per month (P=0.01), to the subcutaneous delivery route (P=0.02) as well as to non-adherence to csDMARDs (conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) (P=0.001). In multivariate analysis, the predictors of non-adherence were the absence of coxitis (OR=6.01; IC 95% [1.88-19.12]; P=0.002], and a rate of administration of bDMARDs less than one injection per month (OR=8.79; IC 95% [2.13-36.22]; P=0.003). This work has revealed the low rate of adherence to biological treatments in Tunisian patient with RD. Predictors of poor adherence were the absence of coxitis and a rate of administration of bDMARDs less than one injection per month. Detection of these factors could help us to adapt our strategies to improve adherence that are essentially based on therapeutic education program.

The Influence of Socio-Demographic Factors, Lifestyle and Psychiatric Indicators on Adherence to Treatment of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a severe autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints accompanied by the progressive deformation and destruction of cartilage and joint bones. This study aims to gain insight into the outcomes related to adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Predicting the medication adherence in RA patients is a key point to improve the treatment outcome. Materials and Methods: A number of 119 Romanian patients with RA were included and divided into two groups: first group included 79 patients treated with conventional therapy and second group included 40 patients treated with biologic therapy. A CQR-9 (compliance questionnaire rheumatology with nine items) and PDSQ (psychiatric diagnostic screening questionnaire) were performed to assess correlations between medication adherence, patient sociodemographic variables, 11 psychiatric scales (major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, psychosis, agoraphobia, social phobia, drug abuse/dependence, generalized anxiety disorder, somatization disorder, hypochondriasis) and lifestyle (bulimia, alcohol intake). Results: Whilst modelling factors associated with adherence, it was found that women and patients with higher education are more adherent. From the psychiatric indicators, only major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder were found to be positively correlated with therapeutic adherence. None of the assessed lifestyle factors influenced the adherence of RA patients. Conclusion: The knowledge of factors that impact on treatment adherence can be useful for clinicians to guide patient-centred care.