First steps to understand productivity loss in Portuguese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), in consequence of joint inflammation and damage, is known to lead to productivity loss. Developments during the 21st century, such as biologic treatments, allowed remission/low disease activity to be achieved in more RA patients. Despite this, evidence is equivocal concerning work outcomes improvement. Our goal was to evaluate work status and productivity in a Portuguese population with RA from 3 Rheumatology Departments through the questionnaire Work Productivity and Activity Impairment General Health (WPAI).