Comparing patient-perceived and physician-perceived remission and low disease activity in psoriatic arthritis: an analysis of 410 patients from 14 countries.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to compare different definitions of remission and low disease activity (LDA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), based on both patients' and physicians' perspectives. METHODS: In ReFlap (Remission/Flare in PsA; NCT03119805), adults with physician-confirmed PsA and >2 years of disease duration in 14 countries were included. Remission was defined as very low disease activity (VLDA), Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) ≤4, and physician-perceived and patient-perceived remission (specific question yes/no), and LDA as minimal disease activity (MDA), DAPSA <14, and physician-perceived and patient-perceived LDA. Frequencies of these definitions, their agreement (prevalence-adjusted kappa), and sensitivity and specificity versus patient-defined status were assessed cross-sectionally. RESULTS: Of 410 patients, the mean age (SD) was 53.9 (12.5) years, 50.7% were male, disease duration was 11.2 (8.2) years, 56.8% were on biologics, and remission/LDA was frequently attained: respectively, for remission from 12.4% (VLDA) to 36.1% (physician-perceived remission), and for LDA from 25.4% (MDA) to 43.9% (patient-perceived LDA). Thus, patient-perceived remission/LDA was frequent (65.4%). Agreement between patient-perceived remission/LDA and composite scores was moderate to good (kappa range, 0.12-0.65). When patient-perceived remission or LDA status is used as reference, DAPSA-defined remission/LDA and VLDA/MDA had a sensitivity of 73.1% and 51.5%, respectively, and a specificity of 76.8% and 88.0%, respectively. Physician-perceived remission/LDA using a single question was frequent (67.6%) but performed poorly against other definitions. CONCLUSION: In this unselected population, remission/LDA was frequently attained. VLDA/MDA was a more stringent definition than DAPSA-based remission/LDA. DAPSA-based remission/LDA performed better than VLDA/MDA to detect patient-defined remission or remission/LDA. Further studies of long-term outcomes are needed.

Determinants of Patient-Reported Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease: An Analysis of the Association With Sex in 458 Patients From Fourteen Countries.

OBJECTIVE: Sex differences may modify symptoms, disease expression, and treatment effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the link between life impact and sex in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Remission and Flare in Psoriatic Arthritis (ReFlaP; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03119805) was a study in 14 countries of consecutive adult patients with definite PsA. Participants underwent comprehensive PsA assessment using the following measures: Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Minimal Disease Activity (MDA), and Psoriatic Arthritis Impact of Disease (PsAID). Disease activity was compared by sex using t-tests or Wilcoxon tests. The association of PsAID with sex was analyzed using hierarchical generalized linear models. RESULTS: Of 458 participants, 50.2% were male and the mean ± SD age was 53.1 ± 12.6 years. The mean ± SD PsA duration was 11 ± 8.2 years, and 51.5% of participants were being treated with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Women, compared to men, had worse mean ± SD Leeds Enthesitis Index scores (0.8 ± 1.7 versus 0.3 ± 0.9), pain on a numerical rating scale (NRS; range 0-10) (4.7 ± 2.7 versus 3.5 ± 2.7), HAQ DI scores (0.9 ± 0.7 versus 0.5 ± 0.6), fatigue on an NRS (5.2 ± 3 versus 3.3 ± 2.8), and PsAID scores (4.1 ± 2.4 versus 2.8 ± 2.3) (P < 0.001 for all). Women were also less frequently at treatment target compared to men according to DAPSA (cutoffs of ≤4 for remission and >4 and ≤14 for low disease activity; mean ± SD score 16.9 ± 14.9 in women versus 12.6 ± 16.6 in men) and MDA (25.7% versus 50.0%; P < 0.001 for all) scores. High life impact (PsAID score ≥4) was associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR] 2.3), enthesitis (OR 1.34), tender joints (OR 1.10)(P < 0.001 for all), and comorbidities (OR 1.22, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: High life impact was independently associated with female sex, enthesitis, comorbidities, and tender joints. At treatment target, women had higher life impact compared to men. It is necessary for life impact to become a part of PsA treat-to-target strategies.

Administrative database as a source for assessment of systemic lupus erythematosus prevalence: Estonian experience.

BACKGROUND: Administrative database research is widely applied in the field of epidemiology. However, the results of the studies depend on the type of database used and the algorithms applied for case ascertainment. The optimal methodology for identifying patients with rheumatic diseases from administrative databases is yet not known. Our aim was to describe an administrative database as a source for estimation of epidemiological characteristics on an example of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, ICD-10 code M32) prevalence assessment in the database of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF). METHODS: Code M32 billing episodes were extracted from the EHIF database 2006-2010. For all cases where M32 was assigned by a rheumatologist less than four times during the study period, diagnosis verification process using health care providers' (HCP) databases was applied. For M32 cases assigned by a rheumatologist four times or more, diagnoses were verified for a randomly selected sample. RESULTS: From 677 persons with code M32 assigned in EHIF database, 404 were demonstrated having "true SLE". The code M32 positive predictive value (PPV) for the whole EHIF database was 60%; PPV varies remarkably by specialty of a physician and repetition of the code assignment. The false positive M32 codes were predominantly initial diagnoses which were not confirmed afterwards; in many cases, a rheumatic condition other than SLE was later diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: False positive codes due to tentative diagnoses may be characteristic for conditions with a complicated diagnosis process like SLE and need to be taken into account when performing administrative database research.

Patient global assessment in psoriatic arthritis - what does it mean? An analysis of 223 patients from the Psoriatic arthritis impact of disease (PsAID) study.

OBJECTIVE: Patient global assessment is a key outcome measure in psoriatic arthritis. To explore the meaning of patient global assessment in psoriatic arthritis by examining associations to domains of health assessed by the Psoriatic arthritis impact of disease score. METHODS: Post-hoc analysis of a multicentre cross-sectional study of patients with psoriatic arthritis. Data collection included patient global assessment, specific joint and skin global patient assessments, Psoriatic arthritis impact of disease questions covering physical (including joints and skin), psychological and social impact, and other comparator outcomes. Univariate analyses (Pearson correlation) and multivariate linear regression were performed to explain patient global assessment and the specific joint and skin global patient assessments. RESULTS: Among 223 patients (mean age: 51.0 [standard deviation, ±13.3] years; mean disease duration: 9.9 [±10.1] years; mean swollen joint count: 4.1 [±5.1]; 84.3% with current psoriasis [mainly of less than 5% body surface area]), 50.2% were females. Mean patient global assessment was 4.8 (±2.7), mean joint and skin patient assessments were respectively 5.6 (±2.5) and 4.1 (±3.0). Intraclass correlation between patient global assessment and joint or skin patient assessment was respectively 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.77) and 0.52 (95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.60). In multivariate analyses, patient global assessment was explained (R(2) of model: 0.754) by coping (ß = 0.287); pain (ß = 0.240); work and/or leisure activities (ß = 0.141); and anxiety (ß = 0.109). CONCLUSIONS: Patient global assessment in psoriatic arthritis was explained mainly by physical, but also psychological aspects of the disease.