TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treat-to-target strategies and physical consultations in >7000 patients with inflammatory arthritis
AU - Glintborg, Bente
AU - Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo
AU - Terslev, Lene
AU - Jensen, Mogens Pfeiffer
AU - Hendricks, Oliver
AU - Østergaard, Mikkel
AU - Engel, Sara
AU - Rasmussen, Simon Horskjær
AU - Adelsten, Thomas
AU - Colic, Ada
AU - Danebod, Kamilla
AU - Kildemand, Malene
AU - Loft, Anne Gitte
AU - Munk, Heidi Lausten
AU - Pedersen, Jens Kristian
AU - Østgård, René Drage
AU - Møller Sørensen, Christian
AU - Krogh, Niels Steen
AU - Nørgaard Agerbo, Jette
AU - Ziegler, Connie
AU - Hetland, Merete Lund
N1 - © The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected].
COPECARE
PY - 2021/10/9
Y1 - 2021/10/9
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treat-to-target strategies (disease activity, remission rates) and access to physical consultations in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease, as well as to explore characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations in the clinic and the impact of early vs established disease.METHODS: Patients with RA, PsA or axial SpA (axSpA) prospectively followed in the nationwide DANBIO registry answered online questionnaires and reported patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in June and November 2020. Patient characteristics, disease activity and physical consultations in the clinic before and during the pandemic were identified in DANBIO [all patients and subgroups with early disease (disease duration ≤2 years)]. In individual patients, changes in PROs before and during the pandemic were calculated. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations were described (age, gender, education level, comorbidities, disease duration, treatment).RESULTS: We included 7836 patients (22% of eligible patients), 12% of which had early disease. PROs were stable before and during the pandemic, with median changes approximating zero, as well as in patients with early disease. Remission rates were stable. The relative decrease in the number of patients with physical consultations was 21-72%, which was highest in axSpA. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations were similar. Self-reported satisfaction with treatment options and access was >70%; the preferred contact form was physical consultation (66%).CONCLUSION: In this nationwide study performed during the first 8 months of the pandemic, patient satisfaction was high and the PROs and remission rates remained stable despite the remarkable reduction in physical consultations, as well as in patients with early disease. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations appeared similar.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treat-to-target strategies (disease activity, remission rates) and access to physical consultations in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease, as well as to explore characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations in the clinic and the impact of early vs established disease.METHODS: Patients with RA, PsA or axial SpA (axSpA) prospectively followed in the nationwide DANBIO registry answered online questionnaires and reported patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in June and November 2020. Patient characteristics, disease activity and physical consultations in the clinic before and during the pandemic were identified in DANBIO [all patients and subgroups with early disease (disease duration ≤2 years)]. In individual patients, changes in PROs before and during the pandemic were calculated. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations were described (age, gender, education level, comorbidities, disease duration, treatment).RESULTS: We included 7836 patients (22% of eligible patients), 12% of which had early disease. PROs were stable before and during the pandemic, with median changes approximating zero, as well as in patients with early disease. Remission rates were stable. The relative decrease in the number of patients with physical consultations was 21-72%, which was highest in axSpA. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations were similar. Self-reported satisfaction with treatment options and access was >70%; the preferred contact form was physical consultation (66%).CONCLUSION: In this nationwide study performed during the first 8 months of the pandemic, patient satisfaction was high and the PROs and remission rates remained stable despite the remarkable reduction in physical consultations, as well as in patients with early disease. Characteristics of patients with/without physical consultations appeared similar.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Arthritis, Psoriatic/therapy
KW - Arthritis, Rheumatoid/therapy
KW - COVID-19
KW - Denmark
KW - Female
KW - Health Services Accessibility/statistics & numerical data
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data
KW - Patient Reported Outcome Measures
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data
KW - Registries
KW - Remission Induction
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Severity of Illness Index
KW - Spondylarthritis/therapy
KW - Treatment Outcome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85118285880&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/rheumatology/keab500
DO - 10.1093/rheumatology/keab500
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34146099
SN - 1462-0324
VL - 60
SP - SI3-SI12
JO - Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
JF - Rheumatology (Oxford, England)
IS - SI
ER -