The survey showed that while many patients felt that a personalized targeted approach was not discussed, the majority of patients (62%) agreed that decisions about how to treat their RA were generally shared between the healthcare professional (HCP) and themselves.
The results indicate that patients would like further help from HCPs to determine and set goals to assess for themselves whether treatment is working.
The perception of the patients regarding the treatment showed that the majority of respondents (75%), when given a medicine for their RA signs and symptoms, expected to feel an improvement within 3 months, with 20% citing 3-6 months and only 5% expecting to wait over 6 months to feel an improvement.
Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Clinical Trials and Campus dean and head Peter Taylor said as the range of therapeutic options for management of RA expands, the expectations of RA patients will increase correspondingly.
"The insights gained from this study should provide invaluable insights that will guide patients with RA and their healthcare providers towards continual improvement in management strategies with the goal of optimizing quality of life," Taylor said.