title: Clinical outcome measures in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
abstract: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), as a chronic condition, is associated with significant disease- and treatment-related morbidity, thus impacting children's quality of life. In order to optimize JIA management, the paediatric rheumatologist has begun to regularly use measurements of disease activity developed, validated and endorsed by international paediatric rheumatology professional societies in an effort to monitor the disease course over time and assess the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in JIA patients.A literature review was performed to describe the main outcome measures currently used in JIA patients to determine disease activity status.The Juvenile Disease Activity Score (JADAS), in its different versions (classic JADAS, JADAS-CRP and cJADAS) and the validated definitions of disease activity and response to treatment represent an important tool for the assessment of clinically relevant changes in disease activity, leading more and more to a treat-to-target strategy, based on a tight and thorough control of the patient condition. Moreover, in recent years, increasing attention on the incorporation of patient-reported or parent-reported outcomes (PRCOs), when measuring the health state of patients with paediatric rheumatic diseases has emerged.We think that the care of JIA patients cannot be possible without taking into account clinical outcome measures and, in this regard, further work is required.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy. alessandroconsolaro@gaslini.org.|Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy. alessandroconsolaro@gaslini.org.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Consolaro
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giancane
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schiappapietra
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Davì
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calandra
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lanni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy.|Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D019468:Disease Management; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life
keywords: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis; Outcome