SynthesisArthritis care & research2018
Medical Care Costs Associated With Rheumatoid Arthritis in the US: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Arthritis care & research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
48 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 94 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of exercise on physical function and pain in adults with rheumatoid arthritis: an exit meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Pooled it
- Comparative effectiveness and safety of biosimilars versus reference biologics in rheumatoid arthritis during treatment initiation: a systematic review of real-world evidence.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2025Pooled it
- 2022 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for Exercise, Rehabilitation, Diet, and Additional Integrative Interventions for Rheumatoid Arthritis.Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2023Guideline
- Economic impact of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: a systematic review.Pediatric rheumatology online journal · 2021Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of the Incidence, Prevalence, Costs, and Activity and Work Limitations of Amputation, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Back Pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A 2019 Update.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2021Pooled it
- Split vs single-dose oral methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled trial (SMART study).Clinical rheumatology · 2025Trial
- Financial toxicity among US adults with rheumatic disease and prior cancer: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.Clinical rheumatology · 2026Article
- Financial Distress and Its Determinants in Rheumatoid Arthritis.Arthritis care & research · 2026Article
- Article
- Autophagy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Molecular Mechanisms, Diagnostic Biomarkers, and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies.Inflammation · 2026Review
- Review
- Blood-based epigenetic biomarkers in rheumatoid arthritis: current knowledge and future perspectives.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Societal cost-of-illness analysis of self-injection of biologics for patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Japan using claims, surveys, and national statistics.Health economics review · 2025Article
- Incidence, prevalence and mortality of rheumatoid arthritis in Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand.Internal medicine journal · 2025Article
- Health economic evaluation of self-injection of biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using a Japanese real-world web-based survey.BMC health services research · 2025Article
- Cost-Related Medication Behaviors for Patients With and Without Systemic Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases.Arthritis care & research · 2025Article
- Exploring drug utilization patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and epidemiology of rheumatoid arthritis in Colombia: a retrospective claims database study.BMC rheumatology · 2025Article
- Ownership and Perceived Usefulness of Digital Health Tools (DHT) for Health Promotion Among Individuals with Rheumatologic Disease in the United States.Journal of community hospital internal medicine perspectives · 2025Article
- Impact of Bronchiectasis on Healthcare Resource Utilization and Direct Medical Costs of Managing Comorbid Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Asthma, and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States.The clinical respiratory journal · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Real-World Evidence to Assess Effectiveness Outcomes of Janus Kinase Inhibitors for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review of US Studies.Drug, healthcare and patient safety · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a morbid, mortal, and costly condition without a cure. Treatments for RA have expanded over the last 2 decades, and direct medical costs may differ by types of treatments. There has not been a systematic literature review since the introduction of new RA treatments, including biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).
methodsWe conducted a systematic literature review with meta-analysis of direct medical costs associated with RA patients cared for in the US since the marketing of the first bDMARD. Standard search strategies and sources were used, and data were extracted independently by 2 reviewers. The methods and quality of included studies were assessed. Total direct medical costs as well as RA-specific costs were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. Subgroups of interest included Medicare patients and those using bDMARDs.
resultsWe found 541 potentially relevant studies, and 12 articles met the selection criteria. The quality of studies varied: one-third were poor, one-third were fair, and one-third were good. Total direct medical costs were estimated at $12,509 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 7,451-21,001) for all RA patients using any treatment regimen and $36,053 (95% CI 32,138-40,445) for bDMARD users. RA-specific costs were $3,723 (95% CI 2,408-5,762) for all RA patients using any treatment regimen and $20,262 (95% CI 17,480-23,487) for bDMARD users.
conclusionThe total and disease-specific direct medical costs for patients with RA is substantial. Among bDMARD users, the cost of RA care is more than half of all direct medical costs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.