title: Impact of rheumatoid arthritis on career progression, productivity, and employability: The PRET Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on career, productivity, and employability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2012-2013 in France among patients with RA who were younger than 60 years of age and employed or unemployed. Patients were either recruited during a rheumatologist visit or among members of a nationwide patient-support organization (ANDAR). They completed a questionnaire on the functional impact of RA evaluated by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and on the impact of their disease on work ability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 488 surveyed patients, 364 (74.6%) were actively employed, 31 (6.4%) were job seekers, and 93 (19.1%) had left the workforce. In the employed group, mean age was 48.9 years; 82.1% of patients were women; mean RA duration was 11.6 years; and the HAQ score correlated strongly with various markers for decreased productivity including sick leaves, temporary or permanent work discontinuation, and having unwillingly downgraded from a full-time to a part-time work schedule or changed to a different job. Among job seekers, 54% had lost their previous job because of their RA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RA is associated with various forms of work disability, which are directly related to the severity of disease-related functional impairments.
authors.affiliation: CHU Dupuytren, 87000 Limoges, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.affiliation: Cemka-Eval, 92340 Bourg-la-Reine, France.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fagnani
authors.affiliation: Cemka-Eval, 92340 Bourg-la-Reine, France.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duburcq
authors.affiliation: ANDAR, 75012 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Woronoff
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR_S 1136, institut Pierre-Louis d'épidémiologie et de santé publique, 75646 Paris cedex 13, France; Sorbonne universités, UPMC université Paris 06, UMR_S 1136, 75654 Paris cedex 13, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chauvin
authors.affiliation: UCB Pharma, défense Ouest, 420, rue d'Estienne-d'Orves, 92705 Colombes cedex, France. Electronic address: Gabrielle.cukierman@ucb.com.
authors.forename: Gabrielle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cukierman
authors.affiliation: ANDAR, 75012 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tropé-Chirol
authors.affiliation: UCB Pharma, défense Ouest, 420, rue d'Estienne-d'Orves, 92705 Colombes cedex, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.affiliation: Inserm, UMR_S 1136, institut Pierre-Louis d'épidémiologie et de santé publique, 75646 Paris cedex 13, France.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kobelt
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002322:Career Mobility; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004526:Efficiency; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Disability; Financial assistance; Part-time work; Productivity; Rheumatoid arthritis; Sick leave; Work