[Sustainable increase of physical activity by rehabilitation]

Patients with musculoskeletal diseases are much less physically active than healthy individuals. They could benefit from an increase in physical activity and a sustainable change in lifestyle in many ways, to which inpatient rehabilitation can make a substantial contribution. In this prospective observational study (pre-post design), physical activity (using the Freiburg physical activity questionnaire) and depressiveness (using the Beck depression inventory, BDI) were assessed in 202 rehabilitation patients (124 female, 77 male) with musculoskeletal disorders (ICD diagnoses M) at different catamnestic points in time (at the beginning of rehabilitation, after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months). The increase in activity was analyzed as a function of the activity level at the beginning as well as depressiveness. At 3 months after rehabilitation activity levels were 47.8% higher than at the beginning, corresponding to an increase in median activity from 5 to 7.2 h per week. Of the participants 78.6% showed a positive difference to the starting level after 3 months. The mean BDI score decreased during the rehabilitation intervention; a correlation between decreasing BDI and increasing physical activity could not be shown. A single intervention (3-week rehabilitation) succeeded in increasing physical activity over 12 months, whereby the increase in physical activity did not correlate with the initial activity level, concluding that even previously inactive patients benefit from rehabilitation.

Time to update the ICF by including socioemotional qualities of participation? The development of a "patient ladder of participation" based on interview data of people with early rheumatoid arthritis (the Swedish TIRA study)

Purpose: The aim of was to identify and illustrate in what situations and with what qualities people with early RA experience participation in every day's life.Methods: Fifty-nine patients (age 18-63 years) were interviewed; 25 men and 34 women. Content analysis was used to identify meaning units that were sorted based on the type of situations described and later on, categories based on quality aspects of participation were developed.Results: Participation was described as: 1. being part of a group, where a sense of belonging arose. 2. In doing activities with others for example at work or in leisure. 3. When sharing everyday chores and responsibilities for example in domestic duties. 4. When experiencing influence on actions such as when being asked for opinions on how to conduct a specific task. 5. When having the possibility to give direction of goals in rehabilitation, or elsewhere. 6. When sharing decision making and experiencing a high degree of influence in the situation.Conclusions: Participation from an individual's perspective is about belonging and having influence that mediates a positive feeling of being included and that you matter as a person. The results are important when using participation as a goal in clinical care. It is important to expand participation beyond the definitions in ICF and guidelines to include the patients' socio-emotional participation in order to promote health.Implications for rehabilitationFacilitation of participation in daily activities is an important part of rehabilitation.Participation is expressed as determined by a person's unique life circumstances often in engagement with others.It is important to expand participation beyond the definitions in ICF and guidelines to include the patients' socio-emotional participation in order to promote health.Collected information about socioemotional participation can serve as a starting point for interventions aimed at the patient's social environment and also provide support for health professions how to involve significant others in the rehabilitation.

Long-Term Efficacy of Rehabilitation Following Arthroscopic Synovectomy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Biologic Agents

Objective

To investigate the long-term efficacy of rehabilitation following arthroscopic synovectomy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologic agents.

Methods

Arthroscopic synovectomy was performed in 29 joints of 17 patients, which were divided into two groups. Group 1 included arthroscopic synovectomy plus rehabilitation for 19 joints in 10 patients, and group 2 included arthroscopic synovectomy without rehabilitation for 10 joints in 7 patients. The Disease Activity Score C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) values (motor subscale) at 9.7 years after arthroscopic synovectomy were evaluated to identify the clinical factors related to outcomes.

Results

The increase in FIM score was significant in group 1 (p=0.05). HAQ-DI at 9 years was significantly decreased in group 1 (p=0.02). Therefore, arthroscopic synovectomy with rehabilitation was significant in improving FIM and HAQ-DI scores over a long period. Multiple regression analysis of FIM scores at 9 years indicated that rehabilitation (p=0.03) and disease duration (p=0.02) were significantly related to outcomes. FIM score at 9 years was significantly negatively correlated with disease duration (p=0.01, r=−0.58, Y=88.89–0.21X).

Conclusion

Rehabilitation following arthroscopic synovectomy was effective in achieving high FIM scores over time in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Future of Rehabilitation Interventions for Rheumatic Patients in the Mediterranean Region

Chronic rheumatic diseases can commonly lead to significant physical disability, reduced health-related quality of life and high economic burden for the societies. In the last decades and despite the availability of novel, effective medical treatment for specific rheumatic diseases, rehabilitation interventions do have a pivot role in improving function and psychological status in these conditions. Several systematic reviews and evidence based management recommendations suggest nonpharmaceutical rehabilitation management as an adjunct to medical therapy. The composition of rehabilitative interventions may extensively vary including therapeutic exercise, patient education, occupational therapy, orthoses, assistive devices, work rehabilitation and physical modalities. Exercise therapy is the main component of non-pharmacological treatment and strongly recommended in international guidelines but currently there is no consensus regarding intensity, frequency, or type of rehabilitation program for patients with rheumatic diseases. So, rehabilitation should be designed on a patient-centered basis in the context of multidisciplinary approach.

[Treat to participation : Position paper of the German Society for Rheumatology on sustained improvement of functional health of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases]

From the perspective of patients with rheumatic diseases, the reduction of inflammatory disease activity alone is not a sufficient treatment goal. In addition the functional health and participation also have to be improved. Starting with the first symptoms the empowerment for the self-management of the disease is important for the patients; therefore, the established treat to target-strategy has to be expanded by the functional dimension to treat to participation. The position paper of the German Society for Rheumatology (GSR) summarizes the relevant fields of the multiprofessional action that is frequently necessary. This includes the acquirement of function-related competencies during training, further education and advanced training as well as implementation in the everyday practice of patient care. Furthermore, the GSR acknowledges the need for research related to functional and sociomedical consequences of rheumatic diseases and to individual and combined function-related programs in outpatient and inpatient care in rheumatology.

Involvement of the multidisciplinary team and outcomes in inpatient rehabilitation among patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease

Background

The last decades have for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases seen a shift towards more physically active rehabilitation programs, often provided as out-patients with less use of inpatient facilities. There is little research on which effect the multidisciplinary team has on health outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and connective tissue disease. This study examined patient reported outcomes for patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases receiving rehabilitation care as inpatients in departments of rheumatology, and studied how number of consultations with the multidisciplinary team affected these clinical outcomes.

Methods

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were included in a multi-center prospective observational study if rehabilitation was considered a focus during an inpatient stay at four departments of rheumatology. At admission, discharge, and after 3 and 6 months, 317 patients were assessed with patients reported outcomes (PRO) including health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), short-form 36 (SF-36), pain, fatigue, patient global assessment of disease activity, self-efficacy scales, rheumatoid arthritis disease activity index (RADAI), and SF-6D utility. Patients stated consultations with the multidisciplinary team.

Results

Improvements were short-lived, and at 6 months follow-up period only mental health, pain and utility remained improved with small effect sizes. Extensive involvement of health professionals was not associated with improved outcomes.

Conclusions

Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease receiving inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation had small and mainly short-term improvements in most PROs. High use of the multidisciplinary team did not enhance or preserve rehabilitation outcomes in inflammatory rheumatic conditions when admitted as inpatients.

Do patient-reported outcome measures cover personal factors important to people with rheumatoid arthritis? A mixed methods design using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as frame of reference

Background

Personal factors (PFs) are internal factors that determine functioning and the individuals’ experience of disability. Their coverage by patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) has not been examined in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) so far. The aims of this study were to identify PFs important in the life stories of people with RA and to determine their coverage by PROMs used in RA.

Methods

The qualitative data of people with RA was explored to identify PFs. Additionally a systematic literature search was conducted to find PROMs used in RA. PROMs items were linked to the components, domains and categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to determine the coverage of important PFs by PROMs.

Results

Twelve PFs were found to be important in the life stories of people with RA. The PFs coping and reflecting about one’s life in an optimistic way were covered most frequently, each by 14 of the 42 explored PROMs, while job satisfaction was not covered at all. The London Coping with Rheumatoid Arthritis Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, Rheumatoid Arthritis Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and Revised Ways of Coping Inventory covered most PFs. Nineteen PROMs did not cover any of the PFs.

Conclusion

Several PFs were identified as important in the life stories of people with RA, but only 55% of the PROMS covered some of these PFs. When evaluating PFs important to people with RA, health professionals should be alert on which PROMs can be used to assess which PFs.

Sociodemographic factors associated with functional disability in outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis in Southwest China

With the rising number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is a limited understanding about sociodemographic factors that influence functional disability in Chinese patients. In order to provide more targeted interventions to improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with RA, we conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the level and influencing factors of functional disability. Convenient samples were collected in outpatients with RA from a rheumatological center in southwest China from September to December 2013. Data were collected by printed questionnaires, and functional disability was measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI). The results showed that 58.48 % of 607 outpatients had functional disability. Patients from rural residents, with lower household income and lower education level, were significantly associated with worse functional disability. Multivariate regression findings showed that pain, age, disease duration, total cost for treatment, and frequency of hospitalization were positively associated with functional disability. Meanwhile, subjective and available social support was the protective predictors for functional disability. The results suggested that systematic intervention and therapies should be provided as early as possible. Patients and health care providers should promote the awareness of the importance of accessible health education in early intervention of RA. Besides, pain management and social support are encouraged to postpone the process of disability of patients and improve the HRQoL. Lastly, but not least, prevention and intervention of RA should be incorporated into public health education.

Social persuasion in rheumatology: a randomized trial of testimonials on television in the rheumatology clinic waiting room to increase attendance for multidisciplinary education

Multidisciplinary self-management programs are important in inflammatory arthritis as adjunctive treatment. Patients often have excuses as to why they do not attend these programs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an intervention of televised testimonials from rheumatologists and allied health professionals increases attendance at a multidisciplinary education day for rheumatology patients seen in a large university hospital clinic. This was an RCT of intervention: playing televised interviews in the waiting room where rheumatology patients were seen versus no TV. There was a total of 6 months (3 months with and 3 without the televised interview playing). All eligible patients who attended the rheumatology outpatient clinic were then tracked to determine whether they attended a subsequent education day over the next 10 months. The sample size was calculated to have a 15% increase in attendance at the education days. There was a 20% increase in attendees at the multidisciplinary education days for patients who saw the televised testimonials. Sixty-three patients who viewed the testimonials (2.17% of 2,908) attended the education day compared to 39 who did not receive the intervention (1.80% of 2,168); however, the increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.36). Attendance of eligible patients increased using televised testimonials; however, the increase was not significant as the rates of attendance were still very low in both groups. Many eligible patients did not attend the program. Other interventions are necessary to encourage attendance in a multidisciplinary program.