Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Comparative StudyValidation of the rheumatic disease comorbidity index.
There is no consensus on which comorbidity index is optimal for rheumatic health outcomes research. We compared a new Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI) with the Charlson-Deyo Index (CDI), Functional Comorbidity Index (FCI), Elixhauser Total Score (ETS), Elixhauser Point System (EPS), and a simple comorbidity count (COUNT) using a US cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. ⋯ The RDCI and ETS are excellent indices as a means of accounting for comorbid illness when the RA-related outcomes of death and physical functioning are studied using administrative data. The RDCI is a versatile index and appears to perform well with self-report data as well as administrative data. Further studies are warranted to compare these indices using other outcomes in diverse study populations.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Prevalence of chronic axial pain, inflammatory back pain, and spondyloarthritis in diagnosed psoriasis.
To provide prevalence estimates for inflammatory back pain (IBP) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) in those subjects with psoriasis using 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. ⋯ There is a higher prevalence of lower axial pain, IBP, SpA, and alternating buttock pain associated with a prior diagnosis of psoriasis. These data may influence the way psoriasis patients are approached in primary care and specialty clinics.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Body mass index and functional mobility outcome following early rehabilitation after a total knee replacement: a retrospective study in Taiwan.
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis, and the incidence of obese patients requiring a total knee replacement (TKR) has increased in recent years. A high body mass index (BMI) may influence post-TKR rehabilitation outcomes. We investigated the effects of obesity on functional mobility outcomes following post-TKR rehabilitation in Asian patients whose BMIs were not as high as those reported in similar studies performed in non-Asian countries. ⋯ Patients with class II/III obesity benefit from early post-TKR outpatient rehabilitation and respond as well as patients with lower BMIs.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Availability, need for, and use of work accommodations and benefits: are they related to employment outcomes in people with arthritis?
To examine the availability, need, and use of workplace policies for workers with osteoarthritis (OA) and inflammatory arthritis (IA) and their association with employment outcomes. ⋯ Findings are relevant to workers with arthritis and to employers. Results suggest that individuals with arthritis are unlikely to be a drain on workplace resources. Many individuals do not use benefits/accommodations until needed, and among those using them, there were generally positive relationships with diverse employment outcomes.
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Arthritis care & research · May 2015
Comparative StudyRheumatoid arthritis is associated with higher ninety-day hospital readmission rates compared to osteoarthritis after hip or knee arthroplasty: a cohort study.
To examine whether an underlying diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis (OA) impacts the 90-day readmission rates after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). ⋯ RA is a risk factor for 90-day readmission after primary THA or TKA. An increasing risk of readmissions noted in RA in 2011 is concerning and indicates that further studies should examine the reasons for this increasing trend.