title: Which patients with ankylosing spondylitis derive most benefit from an inpatient management program?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the benefit achieved from an inpatient management program by testing the hypothesis that more mobile, younger patients on their first course show the most improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 236 patients over an 18 month period. Patients were assessed at the beginning and end of the course by 4 indices, 3 of which were self-administered (disease activity, functional ability, and global well being) and one administered by a trained physiotherapist (metrology). Paired t tests and ordinary least squares regression analysis were used to compare pre and postcourse results for each index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The wide range of disease duration (0-53 years) and disease severity [0.69-9.39 (on a 0-10 scale)] reveal that patients are from a wide spectrum of disease. Results revealed a mean improvement of 18-27% over baseline in the 4 indices. Significant predictors of greater improvement over the 2 week course were found for each index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm the benefit of an intensive regime of inpatient physiotherapy. Although the original hypothesis cannot be accepted or rejected as the results were different for the 4 indices, the following general conclusions may be drawn: (1) there is a trend for females to improve more than males; (2) patients who have attended fewer courses tend to achieve more improvement; (3) younger patients do better than older patients; and (4) age of disease onset has little effect.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Department, Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Bath, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Band
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gay
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Whitelock
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome