Validity of a Rheumatoid Arthritis Severity Index Compared to DAS28
Author Information
Author(s): Sato Masayo, Schneeweiss Sebastian, Scranton Richard, Katz Jeffrey N, Weinblatt Michael E, Avorn Jerry, Ting Gladys, Shadick Nancy A, Solomon Daniel H
Primary Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
The study aims to assess the convergent validity of a rheumatoid arthritis medical records-based index of severity (RARBIS) by comparing it with the DAS28.
Conclusion
The RARBIS correlated moderately well with the DAS28 in this population, indicating its potential utility in medical records studies for rheumatoid arthritis.
Supporting Evidence
- The RARBIS was developed through an expert Delphi panel of rheumatologists.
- The mean RARBIS score was 4.36 with a range of 0–11.
- The correlation between the RARBIS and the DAS28 improved after re-weighting subscales.
Takeaway
Researchers created a new way to measure how severe rheumatoid arthritis is using medical records, and it seems to work pretty well compared to an existing method.
Methodology
The study involved reviewing medical records of 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients to calculate the RARBIS and comparing it with the DAS28 scores.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding by indication due to the severity of RA affecting treatment choices.
Limitations
There is no standard measure of RA severity, and the study only assessed convergent validity, not criterion validity.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 59 years, with 81% being female and a mean disease duration of 16 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.0001
Confidence Interval
0.23–0.56
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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