Arthritis problem indicator: preliminary report on a new tool for use in the primary care setting

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Rheumatic diseases significantly impact quality of life, necessitating effective methods for identifying patient needs.
• A prior study highlighted numerous unmet needs among arthritis patients and their families.
• The Arthritis Problem Indicator (API) was developed to address these identified gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot test the Arthritis Problem Indicator (API) as a tool for identifying patient concerns in rheumatology.
• To assess the utility of the API in informing physician treatment and referral decisions.
• To evaluate the API's effectiveness in providing physicians with relevant patient information.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted with a mixed rheumatology population (n=50) and their primary care physicians.
• The Arthritis Problem Indicator (API), a single-page, self-report tool, was utilized.
• Physician feedback on the API's impact on treatment and information gathering was collected.

Main Results:

• The seven most frequent patient concerns identified by the API were pain, weight control, sleep, mobility/walking, activities of daily living, community access, and depression/anxiety.
• Physicians initiated new treatment or referral for 32% of patients based on API results.
• The API was found helpful in providing information for 80% of the patients studied.

Conclusions:

• The Arthritis Problem Indicator (API) is an effective, low-cost tool for identifying common problems in patients with rheumatic diseases.
• The API facilitates improved patient management by guiding physicians toward necessary interventions and referrals.
• The tool is easily interpreted by healthcare professionals and aids in understanding patient-reported issues associated with arthritis.