BACKGROUND: There is a wide variability in the diagnostic and therapeutic methods in rheumatoid arthritis (AR) in Spain, according to prior studies. The quality of care could benefit from the application of appropriate clinical practice standards; we present a study on the variability of clinical practice. METHODS: Descriptive review of clinical records (CR) of patients aged 16 or older diagnosed with RA, selected by stratified sampling of the Autonomous Communities in two stages per Hospital Center and patient. Collected analysis of sociodemographic data, evolution, follow-up, joint count, reactants, function, job history, Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and other. RESULTS: We obtained valid information of 1,272 RA patients. The ESR, CRP and rheumatoid factor (RF) were regularly used parameters. The percentages of missing data in tender (TJN) and swollen (SJN) joint counts were 8.2% and 9.6% respectively; regarding the VAS we found 53.6% (patient), 59.1% (pain), and 72% in the physician VAS. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having clinical practice guidelines on RA, there still exists a significant variability in RA management in our country.
BACKGROUND: There is a wide variability in the diagnostic and therapeutic methods in rheumatoid arthritis (AR) in Spain, according to prior studies. The quality of care could benefit from the application of appropriate clinical practice standards; we present a study on the variability of clinical practice. METHODS: Descriptive review of clinical records (CR) of patients aged 16 or older diagnosed with RA, selected by stratified sampling of the Autonomous Communities in two stages per Hospital Center and patient. Collected analysis of sociodemographic data, evolution, follow-up, joint count, reactants, function, job history, Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) and other. RESULTS: We obtained valid information of 1,272 RA patients. The ESR, CRP and rheumatoid factor (RF) were regularly used parameters. The percentages of missing data in tender (TJN) and swollen (SJN) joint counts were 8.2% and 9.6% respectively; regarding the VAS we found 53.6% (patient), 59.1% (pain), and 72% in the physician VAS. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having clinical practice guidelines on RA, there still exists a significant variability in RA management in our country.
Authors: Iván Ferraz-Amaro; Daniel Seoane-Mato; Fernando Sánchez-Alonso; María A Martín-Martínez Journal: Rheumatol Int Date: 2015-09-24 Impact factor: 2.631
Authors: R Lopez-Gonzalez; D Seoane-Mato; S Perez-Vicente; M A Martin-Martinez; F Sanchez-Alonso; L Silva-Fernandez Journal: Rheumatol Int Date: 2016-08-18 Impact factor: 2.631
Authors: José María Pego-Reigosa; Carlos Peña-Gil; David Rodríguez-Lorenzo; Irene Altabás-González; Naír Pérez-Gómez; John Henry Guzmán-Castro; Rodrigo Varela-Gestoso; Reyes Díaz-Lambarri; Alberto González-Carreró-López; Olga Míguez-Senra; Julia Bóveda-Fontán; Ángeles Charle-Crespo; Francisco Javier Caramés-Casal; Ceferino Barbazán-Álvarez; Íñigo Hernández-Rodríguez; Francisco Maceiras-Pan; Marina Rodríguez-López; Rafael Melero-González; José Benito Rodríguez-Fernández Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-01-12 Impact factor: 2.655