Abstract
Objective. To improve measurement of stiffness in rheumatic disease.
Methods. Data presented included (1) 2 qualitative projects, (2) the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) stiffness patient-reported outcome measure (RAST), and (3) 3 items assessing stiffness severity, duration, and interference.
Results. Stiffness is multidimensional and includes aspects of stiffness experience such as duration, severity, and effect. Stiffness items showed construct validity in RA. Further efforts are required to develop an instrument that will be taken through the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Filter 2.1 for instrument selection.
Conclusion. The research agenda for the group includes domain content voting for individual diseases, and development of stiffness item banks and disease-specific short forms.
Footnotes
AMO is a Jerome L. Greene Foundation Scholar and is supported in part by a research grant from the US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number P30-AR070254 (Core B), a Rheumatology Research Foundation Scientist Development award, and a Staurulakis Family Discovery award. Work from the US Cohort was supported by the NIAMS of the NIH under award numbers [P30-AR070254 Core B] and [P30-AR053503 Core D] and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Pilot Project Award number [IP2-PI000737], and the Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund. All statements in this report including its conclusions are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of PCORI, its board of governors, or its methodology committee, or of NIH or NIAMS. RH is an employee of Horizon Pharma LLC. CK is an employee of Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC.
- Accepted for publication January 30, 2019.