Unacceptable Work State in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Establishment of Thresholds for Presenteeism and Clinical Measurement Instruments

Objective We aimed to identify threshold values of presenteeism measurement instruments that reflect unacceptable work state in employed patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether those thresholds can predict future adverse work outcomes (AWOs). Additionally, we assessed the performance of presenteeism thresholds previously established in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) among patients with RA for the same instruments.

Methods Data from the multinational Patient-Reported Outcomes in Employment Study in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA-PROSE) study were used. Thresholds to determine when patients consider themselves in an “unacceptable work state” were calculated at baseline for 4 instruments assessing presenteeism and for the patient global assessment of RA-related pain. Different approaches derived from the receiver-operating characteristic methodology were used. Accuracy of thresholds to predict AWO throughout 12 months was assessed and previously developed presenteeism thresholds for axSpA were also tested.

Results A total of 104 employed patients were included: 15% of the patients considered themselves in an unacceptable work state, of which 7 (7%) had at least 1 AWO over 12 months. Thresholds of all instruments specifically developed in RA showed good performance vs the external criterion (area under the curve [AUC] > 0.75), except for the Quantity and Quality (QQ) method (AUC 0.62). The available axSpA thresholds were more accurate by reducing overestimation. The final optimal thresholds were Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI)-presenteeism ≥ 40, QQ method < 97, Workplace Activity Limitations Scale ≥ 0.75, 25-item Work Limitations Questionnaire with modified physical demands scale ≥ 29, and pain intensity ≥ 4. For AWO over 12 months, pain and WPAI performed best in predicting AWO.

Conclusion The final thresholds to assess unacceptable presenteeism for axSpA were also chosen as most accurate for use in RA. In addition, accurate thresholds of pain reflecting unacceptable work state are available.