Most visits of most patients with rheumatoid arthritis to most rheumatologists do not include a formal quantitative joint count.
OBJECTIVE
To ask rheumatologists about the likelihood of performing a formal joint count at each visit of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in standard clinical care.


METHODS
Direct query of rheumatologists at an international meeting of about 600 rheumatologists from 17 European countries.


RESULTS
Overall, 14% of rheumatologists reported performing a formal joint count at each visit of each patient, and 44% of rheumatologists reported performing a formal joint count at more than 50% of visits of patients with RA. Therefore, 56% of rheumatologists reported performing a joint count at fewer than 50% of visits, including 45% at fewer than 25% of visits. One in eight rheumatologists (13%) reported never performing a formal joint count.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the joint count remains the most specific measure for RA, most visits of most patients with RA to most rheumatologists do not include a formal quantitative joint count.
Pincus
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Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 203 Oxford House, Box 5, Nashville, TN 37232-4500, USA. t.pincus@vanderbilt.edu
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D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000473:pathology*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D009819:Office Visits; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*