RADAI-5 to monitor rheumatoid arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Clinical Assessment Tools
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Effective rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management requires tools that provide comprehensive disease course information.
• Ease of use and time-efficient documentation are crucial for daily clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the RADAI-5 questionnaire as a reliable tool for routine RA monitoring.
• To assess the RADAI-5's correlation with existing disease activity measures and its sensitivity to change.
• To establish disease activity category thresholds for the RADAI-5.

Main Methods:

• The RADAI-5 was applied in routine clinical practice.
• Correlation analyses were performed between RADAI-5 scores and established composite indices (e.g., RADAI, DAS28-ESR, CDAI).
• Thresholds for disease activity categories (remission-like, mild, moderate, high) were determined based on a study of 392 RA patients.

Main Results:

• RADAI-5 demonstrated high significant correlation with RADAI and composite indexes.
• Changes in RADAI-5 scores significantly correlated with changes in DAS28-ESR and CDAI, confirming sensitivity to change.
• Specific thresholds were established: 0.0-1.4 (remission-like), 1.6-3.0 (mild), 3.2-5.4 (moderate), 5.6-10.0 (high).
• RADAI-5 remission showed high specificity for ACR/EULAR remission criteria.

Conclusions:

• The RADAI-5 is an easily applicable tool for routine RA monitoring.
• It provides physicians with reliable disease course information and is sensitive to detect significant changes.
• The established thresholds facilitate clear categorization of disease activity levels.