RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Incorporating the patient perspective into outcome assessment in rheumatoid arthritis--progress at OMERACT 7. JF The Journal of Rheumatology JO J Rheumatol FD The Journal of Rheumatology SP 2250 OP 2256 VO 32 IS 11 A1 Kirwan, John R A1 Hewlett, Sarah E A1 Heiberg, Turid A1 Hughes, Rod A A1 Carr, Maggie A1 Hehir, Maggie A1 Kvien, Tore K A1 Minnock, Patricia A1 Newman, Stanton P A1 Quest, Enid M A1 Taal, Erik A1 Wale, Janney YR 2005 UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/32/11/2250.abstract AB The Patient Perspective Workshop at OMERACT 7 addressed the question of assessing the outcomes of intervention in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the perspective of those who experience the disease. A particular emphasis at this workshop was placed on fatigue, but other areas included well-being, real-time assessment, patient priorities, and needs in early and late disease. Through a series of overview presentations, discussion groups, and plenary sessions, workshop participants (who included 19 patients) clarified what is known and what are the outstanding issues for future research. The importance of further work on clarifying the validity of fatigue measurements in RA has been confirmed, and with at least one suitable instrument available there will be strong pressure to include fatigue in a redefined core set of outcome measures in RA. In the other 4 areas covered there are important issues that can be addressed by enquiry and experiment and that together provide a challenging research agenda. At the final plenary session the OMERACT conference endorsed, by a large majority, the proposal that fatigue may warrant consideration for inclusion in the OMERACT core set for RA.