Coping strategies for health and daily-life stressors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and gout: STROBE-compliant article.

This article aims to identify the strategies for coping with health and daily-life stressors of Mexican patients with chronic rheumatic disease. We analyzed the baseline data of a cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Their strategies for coping were identified with a validated questionnaire. Comparisons between health and daily-life stressors and between the 3 clinical conditions were made. With regression analyses, we determined the contribution of individual, socioeconomic, educational, and health-related quality-of-life variables to health status and coping strategy. We identified several predominant coping strategies in response to daily-life and health stressors in 261 patients with RA, 226 with AS, and 206 with gout. Evasive and reappraisal strategies were predominant when patients cope with health stressors; emotional/negative and evasive strategies predominated when coping with daily-life stressors. There was a significant association between the evasive pattern and the low short-form health survey (SF-36) scores and health stressors across the 3 diseases. Besides some differences between diagnoses, the most important finding was the predominance of the evasive strategy and its association with low SF-36 score and high level of pain in patients with gout. Patients with rheumatic diseases cope in different ways when confronted with health and daily-life stressors. The strategy of coping differs across diagnoses; emotional/negative and evasive strategies are associated with poor health-related quality of life. The identification of the coping strategies could result in the design of psychosocial interventions to improve self-management.

[Social costs of the most common inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Mexico from the patient's perspective]. / El costo de las principales enfermedades reumáticas inflamatorias desde la perspectiva del paciente en México.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the social costs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout from the patient's perspective. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of the cost and resource utilization of 690 RA, AS, and gout patients from 10 medical centers and private facilities in five cities of Mexico. The information was obtained from the baseline of a dynamic cohort. We estimated out-of-pocket expenses, institutional direct costs, and direct medical costs. RESULTS: The mean (SD) annual out-of-pocket expense (USD) was $610.0 ($302.2) for RA, $578.6 ($220.5) for AS, and $245.3 ($124.0) for gout. Figures correspond to 15%, 9.6%, and 2.5% of the family income. They also represented 26.1%, 25.3%, and 24.4% of the total annual cost per RA, AS, and gout patients, respectively. The expected direct institutional patient/year costs were 1,724.2 for RA, $1,710.8 for AS, and $760.7 for gout. The total patient annual costs were $2,334.3 for RA, $2,289.4 for AS, and $1,006.1 for gout. Most out-of-pocket expenses were used to purchase drugs, pay for laboratory tests, imaging studies, and alternative therapies. CONCLUSIONS: From the patient's perspective, the cost of RA, AS, and gout represents 25% of direct medical costs. The cost of RA is higher than that for AS and gout.

El costo de las principales enfermedades reumáticas inflamatorias desde la perspectiva del paciente en México / Social costs of the most common inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Mexico from the patient's perspective

Objetivo: Estimar el costo de la artritis reumatoide (AR), la espondilitis anquilosante (EA) y la gota, desde la perspectiva del paciente. Métodos: Análisis transversal de los costos y utilización de recursos de 690 pacientes con AR, EA y gota, de 10 departamentos de centros hospitalarios y consultorios privados de cinco ciudades del país, al momento de ser incluidos en una cohorte dinámica. Se incluye una estimación de los gastos de bolsillo, los costos médicos directos institucionales y el costo médico directo real. Resultados: El gasto de bolsillo promedio (SD) anual (en dólares) en pacientes con AR ascendió a $610.0 ($302.2), en EA a $578.6 ($220.5) y en gota a $245.3 ($124.0), lo que equivalió a 15, 9.6 y 2.5% del ingreso familiar, respectivamente. El gasto de bolsillo representó 26.1% del costo total anual por paciente con AR, 25.3% con EA y 24.4% con gota. Los costos directos institucionales esperados por paciente/año con AR fueron de $1724.2, con EA de $1710.8 y con gota de $760.7. El costo total anual por paciente con AR fue de $2334.3, con EA de $2289.4 y con gota de $1006.1. Los componentes del gasto de bolsillo de mayor cuantía fueron los medicamentos, exámenes de laboratorio y gabinete y las terapias alternativas. Conclusiones: Se concluye que desde la perspectiva del paciente, el costo de la AR, EA y gota equivale a la cuarta parte del costo médico directo. La AR es la enfermedad que mayor gasto implica.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the social costs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout from the patient's perspective. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of the cost and resource utilization of 690 RA, AS, and gout patients from 10 medical centers and private facilities in five cities of Mexico. The information was obtained from the baseline of a dynamic cohort. We estimated out-of-pocket expenses, institutional direct costs, and direct medical costs. RESULTS: The mean (SD) annual out-of-pocket expense (USD) was $610.0 ($302.2) for RA, $578.6 ($220.5) for AS, and $245.3 ($124.0) for gout. Figures correspond to 15%, 9.6%, and 2.5% of the family income. They also represented 26.1%, 25.3%, and 24.4% of the total annual cost per RA, AS, and gout patients, respectively. The expected direct institutional patient/year costs were 1,724.2 for RA, $1,710.8 for AS, and $760.7 for gout. The total patient annual costs were $2,334.3 for RA, $2,289.4 for AS, and $1,006.1 for gout. Most out-of-pocket expenses were used to purchase drugs, pay for laboratory tests, imaging studies, and alternative therapies. CONCLUSIONS: From the patient's perspective, the cost of RA, AS, and gout represents 25% of direct medical costs. The cost of RA is higher than that for AS and gout.