PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sokka, Tuulikki
AU  - Kautiainen, Hannu
AU  - Toloza, Sergio
AU  - Mäkinen, Heidi
AU  - Verstappen, Suzan M M
AU  - Lund Hetland, Merete
AU  - Naranjo, Antonio
AU  - Baecklund, Eva
AU  - Herborn, Gertraud
AU  - Rau, Rolf
AU  - Cazzato, Massimiliano
AU  - Gossec, Laure
AU  - Skakic, Vlado
AU  - Gogus, Feride
AU  - Sierakowski, Stanislaw
AU  - Bresnihan, Barry
AU  - Taylor, Peter
AU  - McClinton, Catherine
AU  - Pincus, Theodore
AU  - , 
TI  - QUEST-RA: quantitative clinical assessment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis seen in standard rheumatology care in 15 countries
AID  - 10.1136/ard.2006.069252
DP  - 2007 Nov 01
TA  - Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
PG  - 1491--1496
VI  - 66
IP  - 11
4099  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/66/11/1491.short
4100  - http://ard.bmj.com/content/66/11/1491.full
SO  - Ann Rheum Dis2007 Nov 01; 66
AB  - Objective: To conduct a cross-sectional review of non-selected consecutive outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as part of standard clinical care in 15 countries for an overview of the characteristics of patients with RA.Methods: The review included current disease activity using data from clinical assessment and a patient self-report questionnaire, which was translated into each language. Data on demographic, disease and treatment-related variables were collected and analysed using descriptive statistics. Variation in disease activity on DAS28 (disease activity score on 28-joint count) within and between countries was graphically analysed. A median regression model was applied to analyse differences in disease activity between countries.Results: Between January 2005 and October 2006, the QUEST-RA (Quantitative Patient Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis) project included 4363 patients from 48 sites in 15 countries; 78% were female, >90% Caucasian, mean age was 57 years and mean disease duration was 11.5 years. More than 80% of patients had been treated with methotrexate in all but three countries. Overall, patients had an active disease with a median DAS28 of 4.0, with a significant variation between countries (p<0.001). Among 42 sites with >50 patients included, low disease activity of DAS28 ⩽3.2 was found in the majority of patients in seven sites in five countries; in eight sites in five other countries, >50% of patients had high disease activity of DAS28 >5.1.Conclusions: This international multicentre cross-sectional database provides an overview of clinical status and treatments of patients with RA in standard clinical care in 2005–6 including countries that are infrequently involved in clinical research projects.