Emerging issues in pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis: results of a national needs assessment survey identifying practice variations for the development of Canadian Rheumatology Association clinical practice recommendations.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: To describe Canadian clinical practice patterns in the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and identify practice variations. METHODS: A 44-item pre-guideline needs assessment survey was sent to all members of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent characteristics and practice patterns. RESULTS: Survey respondents (n = 164) reported variations in practice regarding assessment strategies, treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug monotherapy versus combination therapy, methotrexate dosing and escalation, corticosteroid strategies, and optimal use of biologics. CONCLUSIONS: Practice variations identified in this pre-guideline needs assessment survey were used to formulate key treatment questions for the development of CRA recommendations.