title: Treating rheumatoid arthritis to target: physician and patient adherence issues in contemporary rheumatoid arthritis therapy.
abstract: Development of the treat-to-target (T2T) strategy, the process whereby drug therapy is adjusted until the therapeutic goal is achieved, has revolutionized how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are treated. With the advent of T2T, the management of RA is more effective than ever, with the possibility of remission and other favorable clinical and patient-reported outcomes. Effective implementation of a T2T strategy in routine clinical practice mainly depends on the long-term commitment of physician and patient to T2T treatment recommendations. However, as T2T is a complex process involving aggressive early management with several steps of therapy modifications requiring frequent close monitoring of disease activity and drug toxicities, it may be more liable to suboptimal adherence in real-life clinical practice. The aim of the review is to present key issues related to patient medication adherence and physician adherence to the current RA treatment recommendations and their importance in optimizing the outcome of treatment in RA treated according to T2T strategy.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Nasir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wabe
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences and Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Wiese
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D055118:Medication Adherence; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012074:Remission Induction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: medication adherence; physician adherence; treat to target; treatment outcome