Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34373947›Full record

ArticleJournal of patient-reported outcomes2021

Development and validation of the Methotrexate Experience Questionnaire, a new methotrexate oral treatment adherence tool in rheumatoid arthritis.

Jeffrey R Curtis, Jan Michael Nebesky, Elodie de Bock, Christine de la Loge, Benoit Arnould, Robert Davey, Jenny Devenport, Attila Pethö-Schramm

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of patient-reported outcomes, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Understanding data visualization techniques in qualitative studies used to develop and validate patient-reported outcome measures: a targeted literature review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Review
  2. Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Primary Care: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
    Article
  3. 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

8 authors.

Jeffrey R CurtisDivision of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, FOT 802, 510 20th Street South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA. jcurtis@uab.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8907-8976
Jan Michael NebeskyPharmaceuticals Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
Elodie de BockPatient-Centred Outcomes, ICON plc, Lyon, France.
Christine de la LogePatient-Centred Outcomes, ICON plc, Lyon, France.
Benoit ArnouldPatient-Centred Outcomes, ICON plc, Lyon, France.
Robert DaveyeClinicalHealth Limited, Stirling, Scotland, UK.
Jenny DevenportPharmaceuticals Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.
Attila Pethö-SchrammPharmaceuticals Division, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

F. Hoffmann-La Roche N/A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDespite the development of new biologic therapies, methotrexate (MTX) remains the preferred initial disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Adherence to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs is suspected to be highly variable potentially leading to reduced treatment effectiveness. This work aimed to develop and validate the Methotrexate Experience Questionnaire (MEQ), a tool to identify and characterize non-adherence to oral MTX.

methodsMEQ development included a literature review and qualitative interviews with RA patients and physicians in the United States. A retrospective, cross-sectional study using data from Optimum Patient Care Research Database, a large primary care database of electronic medical records in the United Kingdom, was conducted to finalize the MEQ and evaluate its psychometric properties.

resultsThree hundred seven e-consented subjects (66% women, mean age of 65 years) completed the MEQ remotely, and were included in this analysis. Item-convergent and divergent validity were generally supportive of the construct validity of the MEQ and Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 supported its reliability. The MEQ Total score presented statistically significant correlations of small to medium size with all selected concurrent scales, as expected; the highest correlation was obtained between the general acceptance score of ACCEPT and the MEQ Total score (0.55, p < 0.001). Known-groups validity was demonstrated as a logical pattern of higher MEQ scores was obtained for patients considered adherent with both the 6- and 12-month Proportion of Days Covered (mean MEQ total score 82.7 for 12-month PDC ≥ 80% against 76.3 for 12-month PDC < 80%, p< 0.0001). Additionally, a pattern of lower MEQ scores was obtained for patients with more severe disease assessed with Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3.

conclusionThe 24-item MEQ is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the adherence of RA patients taking MTX, potentially improving over historical refill rate metrics by providing insights into the individual reasons for lack of adherence. This information should facilitate clinician-patient discussions and help inform treatment decisions.

Indexed as

AdherencePatient-reported outcomesPsychometricsRheumatoid arthritis

Identifiers

PMID34373947
PMCPMC8353039

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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.