RESEARCH - Development of classification and response criteria for rheumatic diseases

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Arthritis Rheum. 2006 Jun 15;55(3):348-52.

Development of classification and response criteria for rheumatic diseases.

Singh JA, DH, Dougados M, Felson D, Hawker G, Katz P, us H,

Wallace C; Classification and Response Criteria Subcommittee of the

Committee on Quality Measures, American College of Rheumatology.

RELEVANCE TO THE CLINICIAN: Clinicians already know that not all patients

who are diagnosed with rheumatic diseases really have them. Moreover,

determining which patients have improved and by how much is also difficult.

Classification criteria allow clinical researchers to recruit patients with

similar diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus

erythematosus) into studies. Response criteria help to determine whether

treatments really work, i.e., whether they actually produce clinically

important improvement. As the science of clinical research advances, we must

update our standards for considering classification and response criteria.

In this editorial, members of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)

Subcommittee on Classification and Response Criteria describe the purpose of

criteria sets, their development and validation, and the role of the ACR in

adopting them.

PMID: 16739201

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed & cmd=Retrieve & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=16739201

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