McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Research Articles

Arthritis patients show long-term benefits from 3 weeks intensive exercise training directly following hospital discharge

To examine the efficacy of short-term intensive exercise training (IET) directly following hospital discharge. In the Disabled Arthritis Patients Post-hospitalization Intensive Exercise Rehabilitation (DAPPER) study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis were eligible when they needed hospitalization for either a flare-up in disease, elective hip or knee arthroplasty. The intervention group received IET for 3 weeks immediately after discharge; the control group was treated with the usual care (UC). The intensive exercise was provided in a resort. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, after 3, 13, 26 and 52 weeks. Range of motion was measured using the Escola Paulista de Medicina-Range of Motion scale (EPM-ROM), disability was measured using the HAQ and the McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire (MACTAR), and for health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the Research and Development 36-Item Health Survey (RAND-36) was used. The IET showed a better and faster improvement than UC on all outcome measures except for HRQoL. Up to 52 weeks after baseline, the EPM-ROM and the MACTAR remained favourable in IET compared with UC. At 3 weeks, the MACTAR improved significantly more in the IET compared with the UC: mean difference -5.5 (95% CI -8.4 to -2.2). At 26 weeks, the mean difference remained significant (-5.2; 95% CI -10.0 to -0.34). At 52 weeks, the effect was not significant; however, the mean difference in improvement between the groups can be considered clinically relevant. At 3 weeks, the IET had improved significantly more on the HAQ walking and rising subscales. Intensive short-term exercise training of arthritis patients, immediately after hospital discharge results in improved regain of function. The DAPPER programme has a direct effect, which lasts up to 52 weeks.

Effectiveness of the introduction of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health–based rehabilitation tool in multidisciplinary team care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

To investigate whether the use of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based instrument to structure multidisciplinary care improves clinical effectiveness and satisfaction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) admitted for multidisciplinary team care. Consecutive patients with RA admitted to an inpatient or day patient multidisciplinary team care ward were included during a 12-month period before (period I) and after (period II) the introduction of an ICF-based rehabilitation tool (Rehabilitation Activities Profile [RAP]). Patients were assessed at admission, discharge, and 6 weeks thereafter. The primary outcome measure was a patient-oriented measure of functional ability (McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire [MACTAR]), whereas secondary outcome measures included measures of physical and mental functioning, quality of life, disease activity, and patient satisfaction. Change scores between periods were compared using analysis of covariance. A total of 80 and 85 patients were included in periods I and II, respectively. Concerning the improvement of the MACTAR score and all other secondary clinical outcome measures, there was no significant difference between the 2 periods. Patient satisfaction with care was slightly higher in period II than in period I, with the differences regarding the total score of a multidimensional satisfaction questionnaire and the domains focusing on individual problems and empathy reaching statistical significance. The introduction of the RAP did not change clinical effectiveness but had a modest beneficial impact on patient satisfaction with care in patients with RA admitted for multidisciplinary team care.

Effectiveness of behavioral graded activity in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee: A randomized clinical trial

To determine the effectiveness of a behavioral graded activity program (BGA) compared with usual care (UC; exercise therapy and advice) according to the Dutch guidelines for physiotherapy in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip and/or knee. The BGA intervention is intended to increase activity in the long term and consists of an exercise program with booster sessions, using operant treatment principles. We conducted a cluster randomized trial involving 200 patients with hip and/or knee OA. Primary outcome measures were pain (visual analog scale [VAS] and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), physical function (WOMAC), and patient global assessment, assessed at weeks 0, 13, 39, and 65. Secondary outcome measures comprised tiredness (VAS), patient-oriented physical function (McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire [MACTAR]), 5-meter walking time, muscle strength, and range of motion. Data were analyzed according to intent-to-treat principle. Both treatments showed short-term and long-term beneficial within-group effects. The mean differences between the 2 groups for pain and functional status were not statistically significant. Significant differences in favor of BGA were found for the MACTAR functional scale and 5-meter walking test at week 65. Because both interventions resulted in beneficial long-term effects, the superiority of BGA over UC has not been demonstrated. Therefore, BGA seems to be an acceptable method to treat patients with hip and/or knee OA, with equivalent results compared with UC.

Issues of Importance to Patients Seeking Care from Members of the AOFAS: A Preliminary Report of the Outcomes Committee of the AOFAS

The purpose of this multi-center study was to examine the outcomes of importance for patients seeking treatment for foot and ankle disorders. An improved understanding of patient outcome preferences will assist surgeons in improving patient satisfaction. An open-ended priority function questionnaire was administered to 235 patients presenting as new patients to five different outpatient locations. The questionnaire was designed to identify activities of importance to patients and was based on the McMaster Toronto Arthritis (MACTAR) patient preference disability questionnaire. Subjects were asked to list the specific activities that were limited by their condition. Open-ended answers were written on five blank spaces and then ranked as to their importance. The visual analog pain scale was recorded as a measure of the severity of the patient's symptoms at the time the response was made. The outpatient settings were two university hospitals, two private offices with academic affiliation, and one private office. Two hundred thirty-five surveys were collected between September and November of 2000; 227 surveys were acceptable for analysis. The respondents included 132 females (58.1%), 94 males (41.4%) and one patient who did not specify his gender (0.4%). The mean age was 45.8 (range 18 to 83) years. Average pain at the time of assessment was 2.7 on a scale of 0 to 9 and was reported to increase to 4.8 in a typical day. The most frequently ranked limitations were difficulty with walking (159), running (73), standing (55), and exercise (54). Walking also was the issue ranked as the highest priority (77 of 159), while running (11 of 73), standing (10 of 55) and exercise (3 of 54) were assigned lesser priority values. Only 68 of 227 respondents failed to list walking as an issue. Work, sleep, and social activities were not commonly cited as issues of importance. Patients presenting to office practices identified as specializing in foot and ankle disorders are predominantly middle-aged women in mild to moderate pain. Walking is the function most frequently identified as a problem and ranked as the highest priority for improvement. Social limitations were unlikely to be named as a limitation in this population.

Cost‐utility and cost‐effectiveness analyses of a long‐term, high‐intensity exercise program compared with conventional physical therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

To estimate the cost utility and cost effectiveness of long-term, high-intensity exercise classes compared with usual care in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. RA patients (n = 300) were randomly assigned to either exercise classes or UC; followup lasted for 2 years. Outcome measures were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) according to the EuroQol (EQ-5D), Short Form 6D (SF-6D), and a transformed visual analog scale (VAS) rating personal health; functional ability according to the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Interview (MACTAR); and societal costs. QALYs in both randomization groups were similar according to the EQ-5D and SF-6D, but were in favor of usual care according to the VAS (annual difference 0.037 QALY; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.002, 0.069). Functional ability was similar according to the HAQ, but in favor of the exercise classes according to the MACTAR (annual difference 2.9 QALY; 95% CI 0.9, 4.9). Annual medical costs of the exercise program were estimated at 780 per participating patient (1 approximately $1.05). The increase per patient in total medical costs of physical therapy was estimated at 430 (95% CI 318, 577), and the increase in total societal costs at 602 (95% CI -490, 1,664). For societal willingness-to-pay equal to 50,000 per QALY, usual care had better cost utility than exercise classes, and significantly so according to the VAS. From a societal perspective and without taking possible preventive health effects into account, long-term, high-intensity exercise classes provide insufficient improvement in the valuation of health to justify the additional costs.

Patients' reasons for undergoing total hip arthroplasty can change over time

The purpose of this study was to determine if a patient's reasons for undergoing a primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) changed at 1 year follow-up and, if the reasons did change, how does this change influence patient satisfaction with the procedure. Patients undergoing THA (101 patients) were evaluated with the McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability (MACTAR) questionnaire and questions related to their expectations regarding the procedure. With the exception of pain and walking, most patients did not select the same preoperative and postoperative reasons for undergoing the procedure. In fact, 60% chose 2 new postoperative items. Patients whose expectations were not met were less likely to choose the same reasons for undergoing THA. Surgeons need to clarify patients' reasons for wanting a THA and attempt to identify new factors at follow-up that may influence patient satisfaction with the procedure. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Health assessment in the rheumatic diseases of childhood.

Assessment of children and adults with rheumatic diseases, both in clinical practice and controlled clinical trials in rheumatology, has traditionally focused on the measurement of disease activity. More recently emphasis has been placed on the need to incorporate estimates of physical, social, and mental functioning into health assessment. Thus there has been a tremendous growth in the development of measurement instruments that evaluate health status, functional status, disability, and quality of life. This type of measurement has become essential, particularly for clinical trials in adults with rheumatic diseases, for which the AIMS (Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales), the HAQ (Health Assessment Questionnaire), and the MACTAR (McMaster-Toronto arthritis) patient preference questionnaire have been the most widely used. In the past few years, similar measures have been developed for application in children with rheumatic diseases. These include the CHAIMS (Childhood Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales), the CHAQ (Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire), the JAFAR (Juvenile Arthritis Functional Assessment Report), the JASI (Juvenile Arthritis Self-report Index), the JAQQ (Juvenile Arthritis Quality of Life Questionnaire), and the CAHP (Childhood Arthritis Health Profile). In this review, the development and measurement properties of these childhood instruments are discussed, with particular emphasis on their potential roles as supported by recent literature.