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Rheumatoid arthritis management in the APLAR region: Perspectives from an expert panel of rheumatologists, patients and community oriented program for control of rheumatic diseases
Author(s) -
Chopra Arvind,
Lin HsiaoYi,
Navarra Sandra V.,
Saeed Muhammad Ahmed,
Sockalingam Sargunan,
Thongpooswan Supat,
Jois Ramesh,
Salim Babur,
Gavin Lee Ka Wing,
Lau Tang Ching,
Wee James
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
international journal of rheumatic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.795
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1756-185X
pISSN - 1756-1841
DOI - 10.1111/1756-185x.14185
Subject(s) - medicine , interim , quality of life (healthcare) , health care , disease management , rheumatoid arthritis , rheumatism , family medicine , reimbursement , physical therapy , alternative medicine , nursing , economic growth , health management system , pathology , political science , law , economics
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major health burden in Asia Pacific affecting the quality of life of patients and consuming healthcare resources. According to recent estimates from the World Health Organization‐International League Against Rheumatism‐Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases, prevalence is around 0.3%‐0.5%. Management guidelines have helped to improve treatment across this diverse region. To gain better insight into current real‐world management applications in view of these guidelines, virtual meetings were conducted in mid‐2020 to explore perspectives of rheumatologists and patients, as well as discuss the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on RA management. Patients and rheumatologists from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Pakistan, and Taiwan were included, representing a diverse mix of healthcare systems, wealth, ethnicity and culture. Despite many countries having prospered in recent years, similar challenges in RA diagnosis and treatment were identified. The daily impact and patient experience of RA were also similar across countries, marked by “silent” pain and disability, and universal misunderstanding of the disease. Late diagnosis and treatment, and barriers to access to appropriate treatment, remain problematic. The experience shared by Taiwan offers a glimmer of hope, however, wherein patient advocacy groups have succeeded in being included in policy‐making decisions and securing access to advanced treatment. Real‐world solutions that pay heed to the unique local needs and diversity of Asia Pacific are required to improve RA management, which will take time. In the interim, help can be sought from the trained, non‐rheumatologist community to reduce some of the disease burden.