Evaluation of psoriatic arthritis

Increasingly, it has become clear that the perspective of the patient is also a critical variable. evaluation of psoriatic arthritis Different-types-arthritis. As a result, emphasis has shifted gradually toward including evaluations of medical/health-related outcomes from the patient's perspective. Such assessments potentially are of use to clinicians, researchers, administrators, and policy makers since they offer a profile of the current state of an individual who is experiencing a particular illness or chronic disease. This provides additional information beyond that offered by traditional medical and clinical measures, and, thus is valuable in helping to understand the wide variability in individual responses to similar conditions. evaluation of psoriatic arthritis Atypical face pain. For example, some individuals with severe arthritis remain active in their work and social relationships, while others with the same or lesser degree of arthritis become virtually housebound and isolated. HRQL measures are also valuable in evaluating the effects of treatment, as well as the cost effectiveness of treatments. It seems particularly appropriate to measure HRQL in arthritis patients because the chronic debilitating nature of this disease likely takes a considerable toll on HRQL. evaluation of psoriatic arthritis Arthritis glucosamine. If this is indeed the case, and it appears to be (5), then the assessment of HRQL in arthritis patients is critical because this chronic disease does not typically cause death, but has a substantial effect on health, fitness, and physical, emotional, and social functioning. Therefore, HRQL is likely to be a good indicator of both the global effects of arthritis on a patient's life, as well as the effects of treatment. (top of page) How is HRQL Measured? There are two basic approaches to measuring HRQL. The first involves the use of generic instruments that measure broad aspects of HRQL. These instruments are not designed to assess HRQL relative to a particular medical condition, but rather to provide a general sense of the effects of an illness. Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)(8) is the best-known generic HRQL instrument. It measures HRQL along 8 different domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical problems, bodily pain, general health perception, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health. Other generic instruments that have been used with arthritis patients include the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Extended Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Quality of Life Inventory. Generic measures allow for comparisons of HRQL across a variety of medical conditions and, thus, can be administered to different populations to examine the impact of various health care/therapeutic programs on HRQL. The major limitation of generic HRQL instruments is that they do not assess potential condition-specific domains of HRQL. Because of this, they may not be sensitive enough to detect subtle treatment effects. For example, a SF-36 assessment of an arthritis patient will not provide a great deal of information on important aspects of the illness such as the effect of joint pain, stiffness and related symptoms on function, attitude, and mood. The second approach to measuring HRQL involves the use of instruments that are specific to a disease (e. g. , osteoporosis), a population (e. g. , the elderly), or clinical problem (e. g. , pain). Measures geared toward specific diseases or populations are likely to be more sensitive, and therefore, to have greater relevance to practicing clinicians.

Evaluation of psoriatic arthritis



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