Patient-Reported Outcome Data From an Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial: Opportunities for Broadening the Scope of Treating to Target

OBJECTIVE: Treating early, intensively, and to target leads to rapid disease control, preventing joint damage and loss of function in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We report the effect of such an approach on patient-reported outcomes and explore the contribution of rapid and persistent disease control to well-being after 1 year of treatment. METHODS: This study is part of the Care in Early RA trial, a prospective, 2-year, investigator-initiated, randomized controlled trial rooted in daily practice and implementing the treat-to-target principle. Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey and Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) data were collected prospectively. We defined 4 clinical response profiles based on speed and consistency of the treatment response within the first year, defined as the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints using the C-reactive protein level