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Driving Ability and Safety in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review
Author(s) -
Zhou Daniel J.,
Mikuls Ted R.,
Schmidt Cynthia,
England Bryant R.,
Bergman Debra A.,
Rizzo Matthew,
Merickel Jennifer,
Michaud Kaleb
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.24137
Subject(s) - medicine , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , injury prevention , systematic review , occupational safety and health , rheumatoid arthritis , suicide prevention , medline , safe driving , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medical emergency , pathology , political science , law , automotive engineering , engineering
Objective To identify whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with driving ability and/or the use of assistive devices or modifications to improve driving ability. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines of RA and driving ability/adaptations by searching multiple databases from inception to April 2018. Eligible studies were original articles in the English language that had quantitative data regarding the study objective and at least 5 RA patients. Similar outcomes were extracted across studies and grouped into categories for review. Results Our search yielded 1,935 potential reports, of which 22 fulfilled eligibility criteria, totaling 6,285 RA patients. The prevalence of driving issues in RA was highly variable among the studies. Some of the shared themes addressed in these publications included RA in association with rates of motor vehicle crashes, self‐reported driving difficulty, inability to drive, use of driving adaptations, use of assistance by other people for transport, and difficulty with general transportation. Conclusion Despite variability among individual reports, driving difficulties and the use of driving adaptations are relatively common in individuals with RA. Given the central importance of automobile driving for the quality of life of RA patients, further investigations of driving ability and potential driving adaptations that can help overcome barriers to safe driving are needed.