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Pain, depressive symptoms and medication in German patients with rheumatoid arthritis—results from the linking patient‐reported outcomes with claims data for health services research in rheumatology ( PROCLAIR ) study
Author(s) -
Jobski Kathrin,
Luque Ramos Andres,
Albrecht Katinka,
Hoffmann Falk
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.4202
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , rheumatology , depression (economics) , quality of life (healthcare) , physical therapy , medical record , confounding , nursing , economics , macroeconomics
Purpose Pain and depressive symptoms are common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Information on the prevalence and treatment of both conditions in German RA patients is scarce. Methods Using data from a nationwide statutory health insurance fund (BARMER GEK), 6193 RA patients aged 18 to 79 years were provided with a questionnaire covering a variety of items such as demographics, medical condition and quality of life in 2015. Pain caused by the joint disorder (11‐point scale) was classified as none existent/mild, moderate or severe. Depressive symptoms were determined using the World Health Organization's five‐item Well‐being Index and categorized as none existent, mild or moderate/severe. Another item covered additional use of over‐the‐counter drugs. Data were linked to dispensation records. Results A total of 3140 RA patients were included. Median age was 66 years (79% female). About 70% of patients were classified as having moderate or severe pain. Depressive symptoms were found in 52% and were far more common among patients with higher pain levels. Analgesic treatment ranged from 45% to 76% (non‐opioid analgesics) and from 6% to 33% (opioids) in patients with no/mild pain and those reporting severe pain, respectively. In patients reporting moderate or severe pain, substantially higher prevalences of opioid use were observed among those with depressive symptoms. Depending on depressive symptoms, antidepressant use ranged from 7% to 37%. Overall, over‐the‐counter drug use varied between 30% and 59%. Conclusions Pain and depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in German RA patients, often present together and influence each other's treatment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.