Background@#There is increasing interest in the
quality of health care and considerable efforts are being made to improve it.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a
disease that can result in favorable outcomes when appropriate
diagnosis and
treatment are provided. However, several studies have shown that RA is often managed inappropriately. Therefore, the Korean College of
Rheumatology aimed to develop quality
indicators (QIs) to evaluate and improve the
health care of
patients with RA. @*
Methods@#Preliminary QIs were derived based on the existing guidelines and QIs for RA. The final QIs were determined through two separate
consensus meetings of experts. The
consensus was achieved through a panel of experts
who voted using the modified
Delphi method. @*Results@#Fourteen final QIs were selected among 70 preliminary QIs. These included early
referral to and regular follow-up with a
rheumatologist, radiographs of the
hands and
feet, early initiation and
maintenance of
disease-modifying
anti-rheumatic drug (
DMARD)
therapy, periodic assessment of
disease activity,
screening for
drug safety and comorbidities,including viral
hepatitis and
tuberculosis before
biologic DMARD therapy, periodic
laboratory testing, supplementation with
folic acid, assessment of the
risk for
cervical spine instability before
general anesthesia,
patient education, and specialized
nurse. @*Conclusion@#These QIs can be used to assess and improve the
quality of health care for
patients with RA.