REVIEW - Systemic review of studies of productivity loss due to RA

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Occup Med (Lond). 2006 Jan;56(1):18-27. Epub 2005 Nov 11.

Systematic review of studies of productivity loss due to rheumatoid

arthritis.

Burton W, on A, Maclean R, Ruderman E.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60670, USA.

wayneburtonmd@...

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, debilitating disease

with a significant impact on workplace productivity. AIM: To perform a

systematic review of studies of the relationship between RA and reduced

workplace productivity. METHODS: Screening of 307 titles identified in

bibliographic database searches resulted in 38 articles subject to

systematic review. Productivity loss was expressed by three different

measures: work disability, work loss (synonymous with absenteeism or

short-term sick leave) and work limitation (reduction in productivity while

present at work). RESULTS: A median of 66% (range 36-84%) of employed RA

subjects experienced work loss due to RA in the previous 12 months, for a

median duration of 39 days (range 7-84 days). The times from RA diagnosis

until a 50% probability of being work disabled varied from 4.5 to 22 years.

In inception cohort studies, the baseline variables consistently predictive

of subsequent work disability were a physically demanding work type, more

severe RA and older age.

CONCLUSIONS: RA-related work-disability rates were similar in the USA and

European countries. An apparent decrease in the prevalence of RA-related

work disability since the 1970s may be related to a decrease in physically

demanding work rather than to epidemiologic changes in RA. The majority of

the literature addresses permanent disability and temporary work loss; none

of the studies reviewed reported the effect of RA on presenteeism, i.e. work

limitation from the employer perspective, and there are few published

studies of the effectiveness of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in

reducing work-related productivity loss.

PMID: 16286432

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

ct & list_uids=16286432

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