Faculty Collaboration Database

Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Transition-Age Young Adults With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry. J Rheumatol 2023 Jan;50(1):98-106

Date

09/16/2022

Pubmed ID

36109074

DOI

10.3899/jrheum.220514

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85145425209 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   2 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patient-reported care utilization and outcomes among young adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), including factors associated with complete transfer to adult rheumatology.

METHODS: We included young adults with JIA enrolled in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry from 2015 to 2019 with age ≥ 18 years at their last clinical site visit. We used data from the CARRA Registry Long-term Follow-up program, which follows inactive CARRA Registry patients and collects patient-reported information through phone surveys. We compared the characteristics of respondents with complete and incomplete transfer to adult rheumatology care at their first Long-term Follow-up phone survey.

RESULTS: We identified 540 young adults with JIA; 187 (35%) responded to the Long-term Follow-up phone survey. The 54% of respondents with complete transfer to adult rheumatology were slightly older and reported more self-assessed disease activity, morning stiffness, and pain compared to those with incomplete transfer. Biologic use was high at both timepoints and did not differ by transfer status. Patients who completed the transfer were more likely to have private insurance and be actively pursuing postsecondary education compared to those with an incomplete transfer. Across the cohort, 65% reported problems with pain or discomfort and 45% with anxiety or depression.

CONCLUSION: Young adult respondents with JIA in the CARRA Registry commonly report persistent medication use, but still report more problems with pain as compared to population norms. Additional work is needed to understand how best to address comorbid pain around the period of transition to adult care.

Author List

Smitherman EA, Chahine RA, Bitencourt N, Rahman AKMF, Lawson EF, Chang JC, CARRA Registry Investigators and CARRA Transition Workgroup

Authors

James J. Nocton MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
James Verbsky MD, PhD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Arthritis, Juvenile
Child
Humans
Pain
Patient Reported Outcome Measures
Registries
Rheumatology
Young Adult