RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Treating rheumatoid arthritis to target: the patient version of the international recommendations
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 891
OP 895
DO 10.1136/ard.2010.146662
VO 70
IS 6
A1 M P T de Wit
A1 J S Smolen
A1 L Gossec
A1 D M F M van der Heijde
YR 2011
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/70/6/891.abstract
AB To transcribe the treat-to-target (T2T) recommendations into a version that can be easily understood by patients. A core group of physicians and patients involved in the elaboration of the T2T recommendations produced a draft version of the T2T recommendations in lay language. This version was discussed, changed and reworded during a 1-day meeting with nine patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from nine different European countries. Finally, the level of agreement with the translation and with the content of the recommendations was assessed by the patient participants. The project resulted in a patient version of the T2T recommendations. The level of agreement with the translation and the content was high. The group discussion revealed a number of potential barriers for the implementation of the recommendations in clinical practice, such as inequalities in arthritis healthcare provision across Europe. An accurate version of the T2T recommendations that can be easily understood by patients is available and can improve the shared decision process in the management of RA.