Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim was to establish how patients experience the impact of spondyloarthritis (SpA) on work disability and working life.MethodsThe survey was performed in 17/20 regions in Italy (1 January to 31 March 2013). A multiple-choice questionnaire was published on the official website of the sponsor - the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) - and hard-copies were distributed at outpatient clinics for rheumatic patients.ResultsRespondents (n = 770) were of both sexes (56 % men), educated (62 % at high school or more), of working age (75 % aged ≤60 years), and affected by SpA. The most common types diagnosed were ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (39 %) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (36 %). Respondents were working full-time (45 %), part-time (8 %) or had retired (22 %); 15 % were unemployed (for reasons linked to the disease or for other reasons, students or housewives). Patients reported disability (39 %), were receiving disability benefits (34 %), were experiencing important limitations that were hindering their professional development/career (36 %) and some had to change/leave their job or lost it because of SpA (21 %). Employed respondents (n = 383) had worked on average 32.2 h in the last 7 days. More hours of work were lost over the last 7 days due to SpA (2.39 h vs 1.67 h). The indirect costs of the disease amounted to €106/week for patients reporting well-being/good physical conditions/improvement and €216/week for those reporting permanent impairment.ConclusionsMost patients were in the midst of their productive years and were experiencing considerable difficulties in carrying out their job because of the disease: half of them reported disability and one third were experiencing important limitations in their career perspective.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13075-016-0977-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Work productivity is associated with disease activity and functional ability in Italian patients with early axial spondyloarthritis: an observational study from the SPACE cohort

“…The prevalence of axSpA in Italy is 1.06 % [10] and the prevalence of nr-axSpA is estimated to be 0.35 % [11]. Few data on work productivity in Italian patients with axSpA are available [12]; it is therefore important to get a clear picture on how this disease impacts the work productivity. The aim of our study was to investigate work productivity and its relationship with disease activity and physical functioning in Italian patients with short-term chronic back pain (CBP) who participated in the Italian section of the Spondyloarthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort.…”

Improving the Management of Psoriatic Arthritis and Axial Spondyloarthritis: Roundtable Discussions with Healthcare Professionals and Patients

“…The impact of PsA and AxSpA on work productivity can be severe; an Italian survey sponsored by the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) revealed that over a third of patients with spondyloarthritis felt limited by their condition in their career progression and personal development [64]. In a large Swedish study of patients with spondyloarthritis, 45% reported reduced work productivity, with a mean reduction of 20% [65].…”

Immune checkpoint inhibitor–induced inflammatory arthritis as a model of autoimmune arthritis

“…PsA is clinically heterogeneous; some patients have mild symptoms that may be limited to dactylitis alone or oligoarthritis, while others can have arthritis mutilans, a destructive form of arthritis leading to significant joint deformities . Despite recent advances in treatment, disability is still common, and half of patients with SpA reported disability in one recent survey of Italian patients …”

“…55 Despite recent advances in treatment, disability is still common, and half of patients with SpA reported disability in one recent survey of Italian patients. 56…”