title: Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to establish how patients experience the impact of spondyloarthritis (SpA) on work disability and working life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was performed in 17/20 regions in Italy (1 January to 31 March 2013). A multiple-choice questionnaire was published on the official website of the sponsor - the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) - and hard-copies were distributed at outpatient clinics for rheumatic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents (n = 770) were of both sexes (56 % men), educated (62 % at high school or more), of working age (75 % aged ≤60 years), and affected by SpA. The most common types diagnosed were ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (39 %) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (36 %). Respondents were working full-time (45 %), part-time (8 %) or had retired (22 %); 15 % were unemployed (for reasons linked to the disease or for other reasons, students or housewives). Patients reported disability (39 %), were receiving disability benefits (34 %), were experiencing important limitations that were hindering their professional development/career (36 %) and some had to change/leave their job or lost it because of SpA (21 %). Employed respondents (n = 383) had worked on average 32.2 h in the last 7 days. More hours of work were lost over the last 7 days due to SpA (2.39 h vs 1.67 h). The indirect costs of the disease amounted to €106/week for patients reporting well-being/good physical conditions/improvement and €216/week for those reporting permanent impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients were in the midst of their productive years and were experiencing considerable difficulties in carrying out their job because of the disease: half of them reported disability and one third were experiencing important limitations in their career perspective.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, Padova, 35128, Italy. roberta.ramonda@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramonda
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Day Hospital Unit, Istituto Ortopedico G. Pini, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchesoni
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carletto
authors.affiliation: Department of Locomotor System, Division of Rheumatology, ASL3-Azienda Sanitaria Genovese, Arenzano, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gerolamo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory and Academic Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS A.O.U. San Martino-IST, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cutolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Institute of Rheumatology & Affine Sciences, Catholic University School of Medicine, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferraccioli
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza, University Hospital of Torino, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fusaro
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Clinic, Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S. Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Vita
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Systemic Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerli
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi (AOUC), University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matucci-Cerinic
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, San Camillo Hospital, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minisola
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University of Pavia, IRCCS San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlomaurizio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montecucco
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Ospedale Mauriziano, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellerito
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, Jesi, Italy.
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salaffi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Santa Chiara Hospital, Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paolazzi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, L. Sacco University Hospital, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Piercarlo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sarzi-Puttini
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Research Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfilippo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bagnato
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triolo
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, La Sapienza University of Roma, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valesini
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, Padova, 35128, Italy.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, San Carlo Hospital, Potenza, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olivieri
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000150:complications*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Absenteeism; Presenteeism; Spondyloarthritis; Survey; WPI