title: Assessment and management of rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The goal of treatment for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is to achieve remission, or at least a low disease activity state. A variety of useful and practical tools are available to rheumatologists to assess patient prognosis and evaluate response to treatment in clinical practice. Frequent assessments, ideally every 1 to 3 months, allow rheumatologists to adjust therapy according to patient outcomes. For patients who fail to respond to treatment with classic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, combination therapies with biologic agents offer improved outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Campus Notre-Dame, 1560 Sherbrooke est, Montreal, Quebec H2L 1S6. bharaoui@videotron.ca
authors.forename: Boulos
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Haraoui
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D001688:Biological Products