TY - JOUR T1 - Patient decision-making related to antirheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: the importance of patient trust of physician. JF - The Journal of Rheumatology JO - J Rheumatol SP - 618 LP - 624 VL - 35 IS - 4 AU - Richard W Martin AU - Andrew J Head AU - Jonathan René AU - Timothy J Swartz AU - Justus J Fiechtner AU - Barbara A McIntosh AU - Margaret Holmes-Rovner Y1 - 2008/04/01 UR - http://www.jrheum.org/content/35/4/618.abstract N2 - OBJECTIVE: To explore how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) antirheumatic drug-specific knowledge and numeric literacy, patient trust in physician, and demographic and disease-related factors relate to the confidence of patient decision-making related to disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD). METHODS: Data were analyzed from 628 randomly selected patients with RA receiving care in community rheumatology practices, who responded to a multicenter, cross-sectional mail survey. We used multiple regression models to predict patient confidence in DMARD decision-making related to their most recently initiated DMARD. RESULTS: Significant positive correlation was found between confidence in DMARD decision and trust in physician, DMARD-specific knowledge, and disease duration, but not risk-related numeric literacy, sex, or education. Negative correlations were found with disease severity and current bother with DMARD side effects. A multiple linear regression model of confidence in DMARD decision had an overall R = 0.788, R2 = 0.620 (p < 0.001). The 4 dependent variables contributing significantly to the model were female sex, Medicaid insurance status, satisfaction with RA disease control, and trust in physician, with standardized beta = 0.077, -0.089, 0.147, and 0.687, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this sample of community patients with RA, the patient trust in physician had substantially greater effect on confidence in DMARD decision than DMARD-specific knowledge, disease-related factors, or demographic characteristics. ER -