ArticleBMC rheumatology2019
"Living a normal life": a qualitative study of patients' views of medication withdrawal in rheumatoid arthritis.
Article in BMC rheumatology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT02064400 (A Pilot Study of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Assessment in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
A Pilot Study of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Assessment in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers and enablers to deprescribing of older adults and their caregivers: a systematic review and meta-synthesis.European geriatric medicine · 2023Pooled it
- High Burden and Phenotype-Specific Variability of Pain Polypharmacy in Early Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases: A 15-Year Real-World Analysis.Research square · 2026Article
- Clinical and cost-effectiveness of eculizumab withdrawal in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome: the SETS aHUS multi-centre, open-label, prospective and single-arm study.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2026Article
- Which Factors Influence Decisions to Withdraw from Eculizumab: A Qualitative Study of Patients Diagnosed with aHUS.The patient · 2026Article
- Deprescribing 5-Aminosalicytes in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis on Concomitant Advanced Therapy: A Qualitative Analysis.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
- Low-Dose Radiotherapy Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune Arthritis by Inducing Apoptosis of Lymphocytes and Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes.Immune network · 2024Article
- Single-cell insights into immune dysregulation in rheumatoid arthritis flare versus drug-free remission.Nature communications · 2024Article
- Withdrawing biologics in non-systemic JIA: what matters to pediatric rheumatologists?Pediatric rheumatology online journal · 2023Article
- Swallowing the pill of adverse effects: A qualitative study of patients' and pharmacists' experiences and decision-making regarding the adverse effects of chronic pain medications.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2022Article
- What Are the Preferences of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis for Treatment Modification? A Scoping Review.The patient · 2021Article
- BIOlogical Factors that Limit sustAined Remission in rhEumatoid arthritis (the BIO-FLARE study): protocol for a non-randomised longitudinal cohort study.BMC rheumatology · 2021Article
- Making Decisions About Stopping Medicines for Well-Controlled Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Mixed-Methods Study of Patients and Caregivers.Arthritis care & research · 2021Article
- Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Impact of Mental Health on Disease: A Narrative Review.Rheumatology and therapy · 2020Review
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWithdrawal of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) once disease remission is achieved is endorsed by current international rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management guidelines. However, very little data exists concerning patients' views of this practice. In this qualitative study, we aimed to explore patients' perspectives on DMARD withdrawal in the setting of established RA.
methodsIn this qualitative interview study, patients with stable established RA were recruited from rheumatology outpatient clinics at a large UK teaching hospital. The perceived advantages and disadvantages of DMARDs and views on DMARD withdrawal were explored in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using standard qualitative techniques to construct an analytical framework.
resultsThirteen participants (8 female, median [IQR] age 65 [61-73]) expressed their views of DMARD treatment in the context of their "normal lives". For some patients, disadvantages such as medication side-effects and the inconvenience of safety monitoring were sufficient hindrances to their lifestyle to justify DMARD withdrawal. However, patients who were vulnerable to loss of physical function, or who had prior experience of severe rheumatoid arthritis, expressed a strong preference against DMARD withdrawal, viewing the potential for increased pain and future disability as unacceptable risks.
conclusionsPatients view DMARD withdrawal in the context of either restoring or threatening their "normal lives". In this model, social and personal factors play a crucial role in influencing patients' opinions of DMARD therapy beyond a simple consideration of medication side-effects alone. A formulaic approach to DMARD withdrawal determined and imposed by clinicians would not be successful. Instead, the discussion of DMARD withdrawal should take place with the identification of patients' priorities and in the context of their personal disease experiences.
trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov (NCT02064400), retrospectively registered 17 February 2014.
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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.