Preferences for improved health examined in 1,024 patients with RA: pain has highest priority

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Arthritis Rheum 2002 Aug15;47(4):391-7

Preferences for improved health examined in 1,024 patients with

rheumatoid arthritis: pain has highest priority.

Heiberg T, Kvien TK.

Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

OBJECTIVE: To examine preferences for improved health in patients with

rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A survey was mailed to patients with

RA enrolled in a county-based register. The questionnaire comprised a

variety of health status measures (Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36,

Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 [AIMS2], Modified Health

Assessment Questionnaire, and visual analog scale for pain and fatigue).

The patients were asked to check 3 of 12 areas in which they would most

like to see improvement (item 60 AIMS2). The number of respondents was

1,024 (mean age/disease duration 63.4/12.7 years, 78.7% female).

RESULTS: Pain was the preferred area for improvement in all subgroups of

patients. Preference for improvement in pain was associated with lower

age, higher levels of perceived pain, and lower scores for self efficacy

related to pain. One-third of the patients with this preference did not

report use of pain-relieving medication. CONCLUSION: Pain is the area of

health in which almost 70% of the patients would like to see

improvement. This study suggests that more attention should be paid to

the examination of patient preferences for improvement in health.