Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33367919›Full record

ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2021

Effectiveness of initial methotrexate-based treatment approaches in early rheumatoid arthritis: an elicitation of rheumatologists' beliefs.

Gyanendra Pokharel, Rob Deardon, Sindhu R Johnson, George Tomlinson, Pauline M Hull, Glen S Hazlewood

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Gyanendra PokharelDepartment of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Canada.
Rob DeardonDepartments of Mathematics and Statistics and Production Animal Health, Faculties of Science and Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Sindhu R JohnsonDivision of Rheumatology, Toronto Western Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
George TomlinsonInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Pauline M HullDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Calgary, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2954-6811
Glen S HazlewoodDepartment of Community Health Sciences, Calgary, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7709-3741

Funding

CIHR FRN 142441
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo quantify rheumatologists' beliefs about the effectiveness of triple therapy (MTX + HCQ + SSZ) and other commonly used initial treatments for RA.

methodsIn a Bayesian belief elicitation exercise, 40 rheumatologists distributed 20 chips, each representing 5% of their total weight of belief on the probability that a typical patient with moderate-severe early RA would have an ACR50 response within 6 months with MTX (oral and s.c.), MTX + HCQ (dual therapy) and triple therapy. Parametric distributions were fit, and used to calculate pairwise median relative risks (RR), with 95% credible intervals, and estimate sample sizes for new trials to shift these beliefs.

resultsIn the pooled analysis, triple therapy was perceived to be superior to MTX (RR 1.97; 1.35, 2.89) and dual therapy (RR 1.32; 1.03, 1.73). A pessimistic subgroup (n = 10) perceived all treatments to be similar, whereas an optimistic subgroup (n = 10) believed triple therapy to be most effective of all (RR 4.03; 2.22, 10.12). Similar variability was seen for the comparison between oral and s.c. MTX. Assuming triple therapy is truly more effective than MTX, a trial of 100 patients would be required to convince the pessimists; if triple therapy truly has no-modest effect (RR <1.5), a non-inferiority trial of 475 patients would be required to convince the optimists.

conclusionRheumatologists' beliefs regarding the effectiveness of triple therapy vary, which may partially explain the variability in its use. Owing to the strength of beliefs, some may be reluctant to shift, even with new evidence.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, RheumatoidDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleHumansMaleMethotrexatePractice Patterns, Physicians'RheumatologistsAntirheumatic AgentsMethotrexateattitudes of health professionalsbehaviourDMARDshealth policiesRA

Identifiers

PMID33367919
PMCPMC8328501

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.