A new paradigm of quality of care in rheumatoid arthritis: how our new therapeutics have changed the game.

Abstract

Demonstrating the effectiveness of expensive new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapeutics is imperative to determine whether the quality of care has improved with the introduction of these agents. Our current RA quality measures are primarily process based, but they must become outcomes based to better demonstrate quality. New RA quality measures must be multidimensional, accounting for all of the important outcomes in RA: radiographic, functional status, and disease activity. To fully understand the potential benefits of new therapeutics in RA, outcome measures must be integrated with routine practice.

• Authors: Sonali P Desai, Daniel H Solomon
• Journal: Arthritis research & therapy (Arthritis Res Ther) Vol. 15 Issue 5 Pg. 121 ( 2013) ISSN: 1478-6362 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 24164739 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antirheumatic Agents

Topics

• Antirheumatic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Outcome Assessment (Health Care) (methods, standards)
• Quality Assurance, Health Care (standards)
• Quality Indicators, Health Care (standards)
• Quality of Life