Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · Nov 2013
ReviewExperiences and perspectives of adults living with systemic lupus erythematosus: thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that significantly impairs patients’ quality of life and can be life threatening. This study aimed to describe the experiences and perspectives of adults living with SLE. ⋯ SLE has a severe and pervasive impact on patients’ self-esteem and independence. Their physical and social functioning is limited and they feel anxious about their future. Patients perceive that SLE is trivialized, misunderstood,and stigmatized by their family, friends, and physicians, which intensifies their sense of isolation. Educational, psychosocial, and self-care interventions are needed to promote mental resilience, positive coping strategies, self-advocacy, and capacities for social participation, and thereby to achieve better treatment and health outcomes in patients with SLE.
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Arthritis care & research · Sep 2013
ReviewSystematic review and critical appraisal of validation studies to identify rheumatic diseases in health administrative databases.
To evaluate the quality of the methods and reporting of published studies that validate administrative database algorithms for rheumatic disease case ascertainment. ⋯ The methods used in administrative data validation studies of rheumatic diseases are highly variable. Few studies reported key measures of diagnostic accuracy despite their importance for drawing conclusions about the validity of administrative database algorithms. We developed a methodologic framework and recommendations for validation study conduct and reporting.
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Arthritis care & research · Sep 2013
ReviewSystematic review and critical appraisal of validation studies to identify rheumatic diseases in health administrative databases.
To evaluate the quality of the methods and reporting of published studies that validate administrative database algorithms for rheumatic disease case ascertainment. ⋯ The methods used in administrative data validation studies of rheumatic diseases are highly variable. Few studies reported key measures of diagnostic accuracy despite their importance for drawing conclusions about the validity of administrative database algorithms. We developed a methodologic framework and recommendations for validation study conduct and reporting.
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Arthritis care & research · Aug 2013
Review Meta AnalysisUtility of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody measurement in identifying patients with dermatomyositis and a high risk for developing rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease: a review of the literature and a meta-analysis.
To assess the utility of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) antibody measurement for predicting a risk for developing rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) in patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). ⋯ Detection of anti-MDA5 antibody is a valuable tool for identifying DM patients with a high risk for developing RP-ILD, but the distribution of classic DM and CADM in patients with this antibody varies among ethnic groups.
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Arthritis care & research · Jul 2013
ReviewFatigue and factors related to fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review.
Although patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) experience fatigue, little is known about its causes and consequences, and a fully developed theoretical model explaining the experience of fatigue in RA is lacking. Our goal was to systematically review studies in RA that examined factors related to fatigue to gain more insight into its possible causes and consequences. ⋯ This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field in order to inform future research on causes and consequences of fatigue in RA. However, the results are based on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with different designs and different fatigue scales. For a better identification of causal associations between fatigue in RA and related factors, longitudinal prospective designs with adequate fatigue measurements are suggested.