Abstract
Objective: There is no rheumatoid arthritis (RA) network in Saitama Prefecture. Therefore, our clinic is cooperating with a local hospital in testing both methotrexate (MTX) and biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) therapy in RA. The purpose is to investigate the treatment outcomes of RA and to establish what role the nurses can play in this process. Methods: A total of 78 RA patients were included in this study: 26 patients who underwent MTX therapy were categorized as M group, 14 patients who underwent bDMARDs were categorized as b group, and 38 patients who underwent conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) therapy were categorized as cs group. All the groups were investigated retrospectively. Results: 100% of patients achieved clinical remission (CR) in the M group. 77% patients achieved CR in the b group. 69% patients achieved CR in the cs group. Patients can consult with a nurse when the rheumatologist is absent from clinic, and this occurred with 25 patients from M group, 31 from b group and 44 from cs group. Fifty two of these consultations were for medication, 13 consulted about side-effects, and the other 35 for miscellaneous reasons. Of all of the patients, 29 were settled by nurse, 31 were received consultation by a rheumatologist, 35 were seen by an orthopedist, and 5 were referred to a cooperate hospital. There were no cases leading to severe adverse events. Conclusion: In institutions where a rheumatologist is not permanently stationed, diversified medical treatment is possible. The key aspect of the nurses’ role in this case is to provide accurate and timely information and consultations to the patients.
