RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Deriving an operational definition of low disease activity state in rheumatoid arthritis.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 1112
OP 1114
VO 30
IS 5
A1 Maarten Boers
A1 Jennifer J Anderson
A1 David T Felson
YR 2003
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/30/5/1112.abstract
AB This article summarizes the process proposed to come to a definition of low disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The purpose of this definition is to aid the interpretation of trial and longitudinal study results. A conceptual proposal is "a disease activity state that is deemed a useful treatment target by both physicians and patients." An operant definition can be derived by judgmental (opinion-based) or statistical (data-based) approaches, but the first seems more appropriate. Once a few candidate definitions have been selected, their usefulness and prognostic validity can be tested in longitudinal datasets.