Baseline characteristics of 68 patients randomised for follow-up by a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or a medical doctor (MD)
| All patients (n=68) | CNS group (n=35) | MD group (n=33) | p Values* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic variables | ||||
| Age, years | 50 (12.9) | 49 (13.3) | 51 (12.6) | 0.75 |
| Female | 46 (68) | 25 (71) | 21 (64) | 0.61 |
| Educational level | 0.52 | |||
| Compulsory school | 13 (19) | 5 (15) | 8 (24) | |
| High school | 36 (53) | 19 (54) | 17 (52) | |
| College/university | 19 (28) | 11 (31) | 8 (24) | |
| Diagnoses | 0.21 | |||
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 36 (53) | 19 (54) | 17 (52) | |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 6 (9) | 6 (17) | 0 (0) | |
| Juvenile idiopathic arthritis | 5 (7) | 1 (3) | 4 (11) | |
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 10 (15) | 4 (11) | 6 (18) | |
| Undifferentiated polyarthritis | 11 (16) | 5 (14) | 6 (18) | |
| Disease variables | ||||
| Disease duration, years | 8 (11) | 8 (8) | 9 (13) | 0.66 |
| DAS-28 | 2.97 (0.91) | 3.05 (0.94) | 2.87 (0.79) | 0.41 |
| Patient's Global Disease Activity (0–100, 0=no activity) | 28.1 (20.3) | 25.5 (21.6) | 30.8 (19.0) | 0.29 |
| Symptoms and function | ||||
| Fatigue (0–100, 0=no fatigue) | 34.7 (29.2) | 29.9 (29.7) | 39.6 (28.2) | 0.18 |
| Joint pain (0–100, 0=no pain) | 25.5 (20.7) | 23.6 (20.2) | 27.4 (21.3) | 0.46 |
| MHAQ (0–3, 0=good function) | 0.35 (0.38) | 0.34 (0.35) | 0.37 (0.41) | 0.61 |
| Medication | 0.41 | |||
| Methotrexate | 37 (54) | 18 (51) | 19 (58) | |
| TNF-inhibitor | 8 (12) | 5 (15) | 3 (9) | |
| Methotrexate+TNF-inhibitor | 17 (25) | 11 (31) | 6 (18) | |
| Hydroxycloroquine | 1 (2) | 0 | 1 (3) | |
| Leflunomide | 2 (3) | 0 | 2 (6) | |
| Sulphasalazine | 3 (4) | 1 (3) | 2 (6) | |
Values are reported as number and proportions, or mean values and SD.
*Difference between groups (independent samples t test for means and χ2 for proportions).
DAS-28, Disease Activity Score 28 joint count; MHAQ, Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire; TNF, tumour necrosis factor.