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Rheumatoid arthritis management in the APLAR region: Perspectives from an expert panel of rheumatologists, patients and community oriented program for control of rheumatic diseases.
Chopra, Arvind; Lin, Hsiao-Yi; Navarra, Sandra V; Saeed, Muhammad Ahmed; Sockalingam, Sargunan; Thongpooswan, Supat; Jois, Ramesh; Salim, Babur; Gavin Lee, Ka Wing; Lau, Tang Ching; Wee, James.
  • Chopra A; Center for Rheumatic Diseases, Pune, India.
  • Lin HY; Clinical Research Center and Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
  • Navarra SV; Rheumatology Center, University of Santo Tomas Hospital, Manila, Philippines.
  • Saeed MA; Al-Aleem Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
  • Sockalingam S; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • Thongpooswan S; Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Jois R; Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology, Vikram Hospital, Bangalore, India.
  • Salim B; Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawapindi Pakistan, Rawapindi, Pakistan.
  • Gavin Lee KW; Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
  • Lau TC; Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
  • Wee J; Pfizer Inc., Makati City, Philippines.
Int J Rheum Dis ; 24(9): 1106-1111, 2021 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1349922
ABSTRACT
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a major health burden in Asia Pacific affecting the quality of life of patients and consuming healthcare resources. According to recent estimates from the World Health Organization-International League Against Rheumatism-Community Oriented Program for Control of Rheumatic Diseases, prevalence is around 0.3%-0.5%. Management guidelines have helped to improve treatment across this diverse region. To gain better insight into current real-world management applications in view of these guidelines, virtual meetings were conducted in mid-2020 to explore perspectives of rheumatologists and patients, as well as discuss the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 on RA management. Patients and rheumatologists from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Pakistan, and Taiwan were included, representing a diverse mix of healthcare systems, wealth, ethnicity and culture. Despite many countries having prospered in recent years, similar challenges in RA diagnosis and treatment were identified. The daily impact and patient experience of RA were also similar across countries, marked by "silent" pain and disability, and universal misunderstanding of the disease. Late diagnosis and treatment, and barriers to access to appropriate treatment, remain problematic. The experience shared by Taiwan offers a glimmer of hope, however, wherein patient advocacy groups have succeeded in being included in policy-making decisions and securing access to advanced treatment. Real-world solutions that pay heed to the unique local needs and diversity of Asia Pacific are required to improve RA management, which will take time. In the interim, help can be sought from the trained, non-rheumatologist community to reduce some of the disease burden.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Antirheumatic Agents / Pain Management / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Topics: Long Covid Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: Int J Rheum Dis Journal subject: Rheumatology Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 1756-185X.14185

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Antirheumatic Agents / Pain Management / COVID-19 Type of study: Diagnostic study / Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Randomized controlled trials Topics: Long Covid Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: Asia Language: English Journal: Int J Rheum Dis Journal subject: Rheumatology Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: 1756-185X.14185