A consensus-based framework for conducting and reporting osteoarthritis phenotype research.

BACKGROUND: The concept of osteoarthritis (OA) heterogeneity is evolving and gaining renewed interest. According to this concept, distinct subtypes of OA need to be defined that will likely require recognition in research design and different approaches to clinical management. Although seemingly plausible, a wide range of views exist on how best to operationalize this concept. The current project aimed to provide consensus-based definitions and recommendations that together create a framework for conducting and reporting OA phenotype research. METHODS: A panel of 25 members with expertise in OA phenotype research was composed. First, panel members participated in an online Delphi exercise to provide a number of basic definitions and statements relating to OA phenotypes and OA phenotype research. Second, panel members provided input on a set of recommendations for reporting on OA phenotype studies. RESULTS: Four Delphi rounds were required to achieve sufficient agreement on 11 definitions and statements. OA phenotypes were defined as subtypes of OA that share distinct underlying pathobiological and pain mechanisms and their structural and functional consequences. Reporting recommendations pertaining to the study characteristics, study population, data collection, statistical analysis, and appraisal of OA phenotype studies were provided. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a number of consensus-based definitions and recommendations relating to OA phenotypes. The resulting framework is intended to facilitate research on OA phenotypes and increase combined efforts to develop effective OA phenotype classification. Success in this endeavor will hopefully translate into more effective, differentiated OA management that will benefit a multitude of OA patients.

Comparison of a video versus paper questionnaire on functional limitation in lower limb osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: The video Animated Activity Questionnaire (AAQ) was developed to assess the impact of lower limb osteoarthritis (OA) on daily functional activities. The objective of the study was to compare the video and the HOOS/KOOS paper questionnaires and to assess the effect of order of administration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients recruited in the KHOALA cohort were randomized in two groups: AAQ questionnaire first (AAQ-first group) and HOOS (hip)/KOOS (knee) questionnaire first (H/KOOS-first group). Within group differences between AAQ and HOOS/KOOS scores were compared using a Student t-test. The Spearman correlation coefficient between AAQ score and HOOS/KOOS score was calculated in each group then compared, using Fisher z-transformation. RESULTS: Among 200 randomized patients, 188 (65.8 years, 66.0% women) completed the questionnaires: 99 in the AAQ-first group and 89 in the H/KOOS-first group. The AAQ score was 85.9 (SD: 13.7) in the AAQ-first versus 87.8 (SD: 13.1) in the H/KOOS-first group (p = 0.34). The H/KOOS score was 72.5 (SD: 21.2) in the AAQ-first versus 73.5 (SD: 18.4) in the H/KOOS-first group (p = 0.71). The Spearman correlation coefficient between AAQ and H/KOOS in the AAQ-first was 0.84[0.77-0.89] and 0.73[0.61-0.81] in H/KOOS-first group. These correlations differed between groups significantly (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: This study found video AAQ and paper HOOS/KOOS questionnaire highly correlated, with a moderate but significant effect of order administration of video and paper questionnaires evidencing a stronger correlation when the videos were viewed first.

Health resource use and costs of symptomatic knee and/or hip osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Data on the economic consequences of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) are scarce. We aimed to estimate the annual direct and indirect costs for patients followed for hip and/or knee OA in the Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Long term Assessment (KHOALA) cohort. METHODS: The KHOALA cohort, set up from 2007 to 2009, is a French multicenter study of 878 individuals with symptomatic knee/hip OA who were 40-75 years old. Resources used were collected annually for 5 years. Costs were assigned by using official sources and expressed in 2018 euros per patient. RESULTS: The mean annual total costs per patient over the 5-year study period were 2,180 ± 5,305€. The mean annual direct medical costs per patient were 2,120 ± 5,275€ and mean annual indirect costs per patient 180 ± 1,735€ for people of working age. Costs increased slightly over the study period. Drugs were the largest cost share, representing over 50% of all direct costs. However, the proportion attributable to OA drugs accounted for only 10.5% of drug costs. The second cost share was hospitalizations; hip and knee prosthetic surgery accounted for 27% of surgery hospitalization costs. Health professional visits were the third cost share, accounting for 3% of direct medical costs. The median costs induced could be as high as 2 billion €/year (IQR 0.7-4.3) in France. CONCLUSION: Hip and knee OA costs were substantial and increased over the study period in France. However, the costs attributable to OA represented only a small fraction of overall costs.

Economic impact of lower-limb osteoarthritis worldwide: a systematic review of cost-of-illness studies.

OBJECTIVE: An overview of the economic consequences - overall costs as well as cost breakdown (direct and indirect) - of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) worldwide. METHODS: A systematic literature search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus and Cochrane databases for articles was performed independently by two rheumatologists who used the same predefined eligible criteria. Papers without abstracts and in languages other than English or French were excluded. Extracted costs were converted to an annual cost and to 2013 euros (€) by using the Consumer Price Index of the relevant countries and the 2013 Purchasing Power Parities between these countries and the European Union average. RESULTS: A total of 45 abstracts were selected, and 32 articles were considered for the review. The studied populations were heterogeneous: administrative, hospital and national health survey data. Annual total costs per patient ranged from 0.7 to 12 k€, direct costs per patient from 0.5 to 10.9 k€ and indirect costs per patient from 0.2 to 12.3 k€. The weighted average annual costs per patient living with knee and hip OA were 11.1, 9.5 and 4.4 k€ for total, direct and indirect costs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the heterogeneity of studies and lack of methodologic consensus to obtain reliable cost-of-illness estimates for lower-limb OA. However, costs induced by the disease seem substantial and deserve to be more extensively explored.

Impairment of quality of life in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been fully explored in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS); therefore, we compared HRQoL between APS patients and the general population and assessed the impact of thromboembolic history. METHODS: HRQoL was measured in a multicentre cohort study by the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (MOS-SF-36) questionnaire. HRQoL scores were compared to the French general population norms. Factors significantly associated with an impaired HRQoL were identified. RESULTS: A total of 115 patients with aPL and/or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were included (mean age 42.7 ± 14.1 years old, 86 women). In 53 patients APS was diagnosed. Compared to general population norms, patients with APS had an impaired HRQoL. SLE-associated APS patients had the worst HRQoL scores (physical component summary (PCS)=40.8 ± 10.6; mental component summary (MCS)=40.6 ± 16.5) in comparison with SLE or aPL patients without thromboembolic history. In APS patients, history of arterial thrombosis significantly impaired HRQoL (PCS score: 42.2 ± 9.4 vs 49.2 ± 8.5; MCS score: 33.9 ± 13.7 vs 44.6 ± 10.3). CONCLUSION: Compared to the general population, APS patients experienced a lower HRQoL. In these patients, a history of arterial thrombosis significantly impaired HRQoL. Therefore, measurements of HRQoL should be included in APS patient management to assess the burden of the disease from a patient's perspective and to provide patients with the support they need.

Development and preliminary testing of a computerized animated activity questionnaire in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an Animated Activity Questionnaire (AAQ) based on video animations for assessing activity limitations in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis (OA) that combines the advantages of self-reported questionnaires and performance-based tests without many of their limitations and to preliminarily assess its reliability and validity. We hypothesized that the AAQ would correlate highly with performance-based tests and moderately with self-reported questionnaires. METHODS: Item selection was based on the pilot AAQ, prespecified conditions, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health core set for OA, existing measurement instruments, and focus groups of patients. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 30 of 110 patients. In 110 patients, correlations were calculated between the AAQ and the self-reported Hip Disability/Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score activities of daily living subscale (H/KOOS). In 45 of 110 patients, correlations with performance-based tests (stair climbing test, timed up and go test, and 30-second chair stand test) were calculated. RESULTS: In total, 17 basic daily activities were chosen for the AAQ. Video animations were made showing a person performing each activity with 3-5 different levels of difficulty. Patients were asked to select the level that best matched their own performance. Reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.97 [95% confidence interval 0.93-0.98]); the AAQ correlated highly with performance-based tests (0.62), but higher with the H/KOOS (0.76) than expected. CONCLUSION: A computerized AAQ for assessing activity limitations was developed. Content validity was considered good. Preliminary validation results showed high reliability, but construct validity needs further study with a larger sample size. Continuing research will focus on construct validity and crosscultural validity.

The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis assessed on magnetic resonance imaging of inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study performed on 186 patients.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) colonography or enterography is increasingly used to assess disease activity and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, no study has evaluated the role of this imaging technique to assess sacroiliitis. AIM: The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis on MRI performed for IBD investigation. The secondary aim was to elucidate clinico-biological factors associated with the presence of sacroiliitis. METHODS: This study was performed on 186 patients suffering from IBD followed in a gastroenterology department between 2004 and 2011: 131 with Crohn's disease and 55 with ulcerative colitis. Clinico-biological and endoscopic data were collected and MR enterography or colonography was performed to assess IBD activity on axial and coronal fat suppressed injected T1-weighted sequences. On MRI, sacroiliitis was scored blindly by two independent readers according to ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society) criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis was 16.7% (n = 31). Sacroiliitis was bilateral in 14 cases and unilateral in 17 cases. The sacroiliac joints were considered normal in 144 cases and doubtful in 11 cases. Older age and female gender were significantly associated with the presence of sacroiliitis. Other factors such as type of IBD, disease duration and localisation of IBD, surgery history, biological inflammation, bowel disease activity and treatment were not associated with sacroiliitis. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory sacroiliitis was evidenced by MRI in 16.7% in patients suffering from IBD. Added to clinico-biological data, MRI analysis should contribute to an earlier diagnosis of axial spondylarthritis in patients with IBD.

Comparing non-enhanced and enhanced sequences in the assessment of effusion and synovitis in knee OA: associations with clinical, macroscopic and microscopic features.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate synovial membrane (SM) inflammation and joint effusion scores by semiquantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment with and without enhanced sequences. Gold standards used for comparison were microscopic examination of SM biopsies for SM inflammation and joint volume measurement (JVM) after arthrocentesis for effusion. METHODS: Patients (n = 30) fulfilling ACR criteria for knee osteoarthritis (OA) and requiring joint lavage, were evaluated with MRI: (1) SM inflammation was assessed by Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) on T2 weighted sequences (T2w) a composite score assessing together synovitis and effusion, and the MRI-synovitis score (based on synovitis thickening in five regions of interest) on a T1-weighted fat sat sequence after contrast agent injection (T1wCE). (2) Joint effusion was evaluated by MRI-effusion score (T1wCE) and the WORMS (T2w). JVM was measured after arthrocentesis, and microscopic SM inflammation was determined in SM samples (n = 86). Correlations between MRI scores and clinical, biologic and histologic parameters were studied. RESULTS: Both scores for effusion were well correlated [r = 0.82 (0.65-0.91); P < 0.001] and presented excellent intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. MRI scores for effusion were well correlated with JVM (r = 0.60 for WORMS and r = 0.59 for MRI-effusion score). Synovitis scores were highly reproducible but moderately correlated (r = 0.63; P < 0.001). Only MRI-synovitis total score (T1wCE) was correlated with SM microscopic inflammation (r = 0.46; P = 0.01) and most strongly infiltration (r = 0.45; P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: T2w sequences are adequate in assessing effusion volume in compare to joint volume by arthrocentesis but only T1wCE sequences are able to detect synovitis according to the reference of synovial biopsy.

Prevalence of symptomatic hip and knee osteoarthritis: a two-phase population-based survey.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis (OA) epidemiologic data are scarce in Europe. To estimate the prevalence of symptomatic knee and hip OA in a multiregional sample in France. DESIGN: A two-phase population-based survey was conducted in six regions in 2007-2009. On initial phone contact using random-digit dialing, subjects 40-75 years old were screened with a validated questionnaire. Subjects screened positive were invited for ascertainment: physical examination and hip and/or knee radiography (Kellgren-Lawrence grade≥2). Multiple imputation for data missing not-at-random was used to account for refusals. RESULTS: Of 63,232 homes contacted, 27,632 were eligible, 9621 subjects screened positive, 3707 participated fully in the ascertainment phase, and 1010 had symptomatic OA: 317 hip, 756 knee. Hip OA prevalence according to age class ranged from 0.9% to 3.9% for men and 0.7-5.1% for women. Knee OA ranged from 2.1% to 10.1% for men and 1.6-14.9% for women. Both differed by geographical region. The hip and knee standardized prevalence was 1.9% and 4.7% for men and 2.5% and 6.6% for women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This confirmed the feasibility of using a screening questionnaire for eliciting population-based estimates of OA. In France, it increases with age and is greater among women above the age of 50. The geographical disparity of hip and knee OA parallels the distribution of obesity. Study registration ID number 906297 at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/.

[Impact of whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the management of melanoma patients, in comparison with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (TEP/CT) and CT]. / Apport de l'imagerie en résonance magnétique (IRM) du corps entier dans la prise en charge du mélanome : comparaison avec la tomoscintigraphie par émission de positons couplée à la tomodensitométrie (TEP-TDM) et à la TDM seule.

BACKGROUND: PET/CT has proven extremely useful in the management of melanoma patients, with great sensitivity (Se), but it tends to give false-positive results. Whole-body MRI (wb-MRI) is a new method that has made considerable progress. STUDY AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the Se and specificity (Sp) of wb-MRI with a diffusion sequence for detecting melanoma metastasis compared to PET/CT. METHODS: This was a prospective study, including patients at any AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) stage of melanoma. PET/CT, wb-MRI and CT, including the brain, were performed on the same day. For each of the three exams, the number of lesions per patient was counted. The treatments proposed by the doctor immediately after PET/CT and then MRI were compared. RESULTS: Forty patients were included and a total of 72 metastases were noted. CT detected 53 of these metastases (Se 80%, Sp 95%), while PET/CT detected 53 metastases, with four false-positive (Se 74%, Sp 89%) and Wb-MRI detected 59, with two false-positive (Se 83%, Sp 96%). The sensitivity of MRI was distinctly superior to PET/CT for both hepatic and pulmonary lesions. The treatment proposed after PET/CT and MRI differed in three cases: one patient was falsely reclassified by MRI (AJCC IV instead of IIB) while two others were falsely reclassified by PET/CT (AJCC IV instead of IB and IIIC). Exclusively whole-body scan influenced the treatment of four patients (10%). CONCLUSION: Wb-MRI with diffusion sequence, which is less costly than PET/CT and is also non-radioactive, could play an important role in the detection of metastases in melanoma patients.

[Results of skin tests to assess drug-induced allergy]. / Résultats des tests cutanés dans l'exploration des toxidermies.

BACKGROUND: Skin tests are often used to explore adverse drug reactions. The sensitivity of skin tests appears to vary according to the drugs tested and the type of adverse reaction in question. There is no clear strategy to explore drug adverse reactions. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of positive results for the different skin tests according to therapeutic class tested and type of adverse reaction. The secondary objective was to study response to the test drugs at different dilutions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively selected all patients presenting a suspected adverse drug reaction investigated in our clinic by patch test (PT), prick test (pt) and intradermal test (IDT). The suspected drugs and a pre-established list of substances from the same therapeutic family were systematically tested. Medical records from patients with Lyell syndrome, fixed drug eruption, photosensitivity and Drug Eruption with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome were excluded. Adverse drug reactions were divided into two groups: the U group (urticaria or angioedema) and the E group (maculopapular-rash, erythroderma and generalized eczema). RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-nine adverse drug reactions in 319 patients were assessed: 200 in the U group and 229 in the E group. In total, 61.8% presented at least one positive test for the suspected therapeutic class: 67.5% in the U group and 56.8% in the E group. In the U group, patch tests were positive in 14% of cases for betalactams, 17% for NSAIDs and 6% for radio-contrast media (RCM); in the E group, PT were positive in 12% of cases for betalactams, 9% for NSAIDs and 2% for RCM. Prick-tests were positive in the U group in 73% of the betalactams explored, 40% for the NSAIDs and 40% for the RCM; in the E group, pt were positive in 51% for betalactams, 32 for NSAIDs and 35% for RCM. IDT were positive in the U group in 13% for betalactams, 10% for NSAIDs and 40% for RCM; in the E group, IDT were positive in 14% for betalactams, 7% for NSAIDs and 40% for RCM. In the U group, pt were positive in 50% of cases with a diluted aliquot and in 48% of cases for IDT; in the E group pt were positive in 3% of cases with a diluted aliquot and in 63% of cases for IDT. The main limitations of this study are due to its retrospective nature and to the absence of evaluation of the specificity and relevance of the positive tests. CONCLUSION: In patients presenting adverse drug reactions such as urticaria, angioedema, maculopapular rash, erythroderma and generalized eczema, the frequency of positive tests is high in general and for each therapeutic class (betalactams, NSAIDs, RCM). Diluted aliquots for pt remained sensitive and could be useful in exploring urticaria or angioedema, in the same way as diluted aliquots for IDT in both types of reaction. Better standardization of test procedures (including diluted aliquots) and of result reading would improve evaluation of the specificity and relevance of skin tests in adverse drug reactions.

Magnetic resonance imaging in osteoarthritis: which method best reflects synovial membrane inflammation? Correlations with clinical, macroscopic and microscopic features.

OBJECTIVES: : To study synovial membrane (SM) inflammation near the patella with different magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches performed using a T1-injected sequence in knee osteoarthritis (OA), and to compare MRI results with macroscopic, microscopic and clinical findings. METHODS: Fifteen patients fulfilling American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for knee OA and requiring joint lavage completed a functional index (Lequesne's functional index) and a pain visual analog scale (VAS). SM inflammation near the patella was assessed on axial fat saturation post-injected T1 MRI images using three different methods: (1) semi-quantitative score=MRI synovitis score; (2) synovial membrane volume (SMV) analysis; (3) SMV with low (SMVL) (<0.3%/s(-1)), intermediate (SMVI) (0.3%/s(-1) to 1%/s(-1)) and high (SMVH) (> or =1%/s(-1)) speed of enhancement. Chondral lesions and SM inflammation were macroscopically graded and SM biopsies performed for microscopic scoring. RESULTS: All MRI approaches exhibited excellent intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. MRI synovitis score correlated well with macroscopic (r=0.61, P=0.003) and total microscopic scores (r=0.55, P=0.03). Correlations between SMV and macroscopic (r=0.60, P=0.02) and microscopic congestion (r=0.63, P=0.01) were good. SMVH was correlated only with microscopic congestion (r=0.79, P=0.01). Low SMV was associated with neither macroscopic nor microscopic scores. However, it did correlate well with pain-VAS score (r=0.61, P=0.03) and moderately with a functional index (r=0.46, P=0.10). CONCLUSION: The three MRI approaches used here provided highly reproducible information on SM inflammation near the patella in knee OA. Compared to SMV, MRI synovitis score seems sufficient to assess synovial inflammation but high SMV is an appropriate indicator of vascular congestion, and low SMV reflects pain in knee OA.

A case-control study to assess sensitivity and specificity of a questionnaire for the detection of hip and knee osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the performance of a telephone-administered questionnaire suitable for use in 2-phase surveys in the detection of symptomatic hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) cases. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed based on typical symptoms and self-reported OA diagnosis. Three groups of subjects were consecutively enrolled from rheumatology units at French university hospitals. The disease status, based on American College of Rheumatology criteria, was first confirmed by a rheumatologist. Subjects then completed the screening questionnaire administered by interviewers unaware of the diagnosis and the clinical examination results. Three screening strategies were evaluated. RESULTS: In all, 119 subjects with hip OA, 137 with knee OA, and 111 subjects with other rheumatic diseases with lower extremity symptoms were recruited. The highest sensitivity for both hip and knee OA was obtained with the strategy based on reporting the presence or absence of symptoms (>96%). The specificity of this strategy was low (42% for both joints). When taking into account the self-reported OA diagnosis, the sensitivity slightly decreased (>91%), and the specificity increased greatly, from 76% to 78%. The highest specificity was obtained with the third strategy, requiring a rheumatologist opinion (from 82% to 85%) at the expense of lower sensitivity (>90%). CONCLUSION: The questionnaire tested in this study is a simple, valid, and reliable instrument to screen symptomatic hip and knee OA. As such, it fails to reach complete accuracy and clinical examination and radiographs remain necessary for complete ascertainment procedure.

Mapping the osteoarthritis knee and hip quality of life (OAKHQOL) instrument to the international classification of functioning, disability and health and comparison to five health status instruments used in osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To map the content of the OsteoArthritis Knee and Hip Quality Of Life (OAKHQOL) scale to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). To compare the OAKHQOL with other instruments used in OA using the ICF core set for OA (OA core set). METHODS: We mapped the 43 items of the OAKHQOL to ICF categories according to published linking rules. We used the OA core set to compare the linked OAKHQOL to available ICF linking results for five health status instruments frequently used in OA. RESULTS: The 43 items of the OAKHQOL encompass 51 concepts linked to 27 different second-level ICF categories. Of the 55 OA core set categories, 20 could be linked to the OAKHQOL. Among the body function categories, several items describe sleep, pain and emotional function. Only 3 of 19 ICF activity and participation categories are not covered by the OAKHQOL. ICF environmental factors explored by the OAKHQOL include several important categories: drugs, products for personal use, support and relationships. The health status instruments that most comprehensively cover the OA core set are the OAKHQOL and the AIMS2-SF. All instruments address pain and restrictions in activity and participation but, except for the OAKHQOL and the AIMS2-SF, seldom cover emotional and sleep functions, participation in work and social life, and environmental factors. CONCLUSION: Compared with other health status instruments commonly used in OA, the OAKHQOL covers the highest number of OA core set categories and captures specific aspects that are especially valuable to patients with knee and hip OA.

Screening for hip and knee osteoarthritis in the general population: predictive value of a questionnaire and prevalence estimates.

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and validity of a two-step telephone screening procedure for symptomatic knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) in the general population. METHOD: The screening questionnaire was based on signs and symptoms, previous diagnosis of OA and validated OA criteria. A random sample of telephone numbers was obtained and, at each number, one person aged 40-75 years was included. A physical examination and knee or hip radiographs were offered when the screen was positive. A sample of subjects with negative screens was also examined. The diagnosis of hip/knee OA was based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria for signs and symptoms and Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic stage 2 or greater. Prevalence rates were estimated with correction for the performance of the screening procedure. RESULTS: Of 1380 subjects, 479 had positive screens, among whom 109 were evaluated; symptomatic radiographic OA was found in 50 subjects, at the knee (n = 35) or hip (n = 20). Corrected prevalence estimates of symptomatic OA were 7.6% (6.4%-8.8%) for the knee and 5% (3.9%-6.1%) for the hip. The screening procedure had 87% (95% CI 79% to 95%) sensitivity and 92% (95% CI 91% to 93%) specificity for detecting knee OA and respectively 93% (95% CI 86% to 100%) and 93% (95% CI 92% to 94%) for hip OA. CONCLUSION: This study establishes the feasibility of telephone screening for symptomatic knee/hip OA, which could be used for a nationwide prevalence study. Pain and previous OA diagnosis were the best items for detecting symptomatic OA.

Effect of order of presentation of a generic and a specific health-related quality of life instrument in knee and hip osteoarthritis: a randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: Current guidelines recommend using both a generic and a specific instrument to measure quality of life (QoL) among people with chronic diseases. However, the two questionnaires may not be independent, which raises the issue of whether the order in which they are completed influences their value. We aimed to assess the effect of order of presentation of a generic (SF36) and a specific (Osteoarthritis Knee and Hip QoL [OAKHQOL]) QoL instrument administered to patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: We recruited 341 outpatients from rheumatology and orthopaedic surgery clinics. Demographic and clinical data and responses to the SF36 and OAKHQOL self-administered questionnaires were collected at baseline and 10 days after inclusion; surgical patients were also assessed 6 months post-surgery. The order of presentation of the instruments was randomized at inclusion. RESULTS: The order of instrument presentation had no significant effect on response rate, number of dimensions with a floor or a ceiling effect, or questionnaire scores. In one of 13 dimensions (social support dimension of the OAKHQOL), test-retest reliability was slightly better when the generic SF36 questionnaire was presented first (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) 0.84 vs 0.55). The analysis of sensitivity to change and discriminant ability did not favour one group over the other. CONCLUSION: The order of presentation of a generic and a specific QoL questionnaire to patients with OA had an only marginal effect on the quality of responses and the QoL scores obtained.

[Evaluation of the off-site preanaesthetic consult in Lorraine]. / Evaluation du réseau de consultations préanesthésiques délocalisées de Lorraine.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the results of Off Site preanaesthetic consult in Lorraine and to draw up a method for these pre-operative visits. STUDY DESIGN: Two surveys of the Lorraine-regional practice (from both the anaesthetists and surgeons from Lorraine) and one survey of patient satisfaction. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Questionnaires were sent by mail to all anaesthetists (n=270) and surgeons (n=339) in the Lorraine region. In the immediate postoperative period, specific questionnaires were sent by mail to selected patient groups (n=73 in each group), one group having and the other (control) not having Off Site preanaesthetic consult. RESULTS: Anaesthetists' survey: 48.4% of interviewed anaesthetists belonged to the pre-anaesthetic consult network. 81.2% of these anaesthetists performed Off Site pre-anaesthetic consult. The main recognized advantages were patient comfort (89.6%) and cost effectiveness (57.3%). 26.1% of anaesthetists who did not participate to the network were strongly opposed to this practice, while 60.9% were prepared to enter the network. Surgeons' survey: 15.6% of surgeons were not satisfied that anaesthetists in their institutions practiced the Off Site pre-anaesthetic consult. Patients' survey: no difference in satisfaction towards the quality of information delivered during the consultation (anaesthetic technique, analgesia and evaluation of the perioperative risk) nor in terms of perioperative anxiety. The average transportation distance spared by Off Site preanaesthetic Consult was 98 miles. CONCLUSION: Off Site preanaesthetic consult may have real benefits in terms of, patient satisfaction, comfort and cost-effectiveness. In the Lorraine region, a majority of anaesthetists has experience with this practice.

Do clinical presentation and pre-operative quality of life predict satisfaction with care after total hip or knee replacement?

We conducted a multicentre cohort study of 228 patients with osteoarthritis followed up after total hip or knee replacement. Quality of life and patient satisfaction were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. Patient satisfaction was the dependent variable in a multivariate linear regression model. Independent variables included sociodemographic factors, pre- and post-operative clinical characteristics and the pre-operative and post-discharge health-related quality of life. The mean age of the patients was 69 years (sd 9), and 43.8% were male. Pre- and postoperative clinical characteristics were not associated with satisfaction with health care. Only pre-operative bodily pain (p<0.01) and pre-operative social functioning (p<0.05) influenced patient satisfaction with care. The pre-operative health-related quality of life and patient characteristics have little effect on inpatient satisfaction with care. This suggests that the impact of the care process on satisfaction may be independent of observed and perceived initial patient-related characteristics.