ArticleTherapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease2024
To flare or not to flare: patients' and rheumatologists' perceptions on the on-flare retreatment strategy of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis.
Article in Therapeutic advances in musculoskeletal disease, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.
- Describing flares: a mixed methods study comparing patient and clinician perspectives in systemic lupus erythematosus and other rheumatic diseases.Rheumatology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Effectiveness and patient-reported impact of on-flare retreatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: insights from retrospective long-term real-world data.BMC rheumatology · 2025Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Several retreatment strategies exist for rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In some countries, reimbursement criteria require a loss of disease control for rituximab retreatment. Understanding the patients' and rheumatologists' perceptions regarding this retreatment strategy would be informative in identifying the optimal treatment administration schedule. Objectives: This study aimed to uncover patients' and rheumatologists' perceptions regarding retreatment strategies of rituximab. Design: Qualitative study - semi-structured interviews. Methods: Patients with RA, treated with rituximab, and rheumatologists were invited to participate in a qualitative study consisting of individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analysed according to the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven. Results: A total of 16 patients and 13 rheumatologists were interviewed. Benefits (e.g. decreased risk of overtreatment, cost savings and long-lasting effectiveness of rituximab) and barriers (e.g. fluctuating disease activity, slow mode of action and increased glucocorticoid use) of on-flare retreatment were identified. To effectively treat on-flare, flares must first be identified timely. Both stakeholder groups acknowledged that patients are capable of recognizing flares. However, the patient's ability to discriminate between inflammatory and other types of pain was perceived as difficult. Furthermore, patients and rheumatologists stressed that patients must timely seek professional help in case of a flare, followed by a swift response from the rheumatologists. Remarkably, retreatment was approached in various ways among rheumatologists, and not always adhering strictly to the on-flare reimbursement criteria. Conclusion: This study revealed that both stakeholder groups perceived the heterogeneity in recognition of and reaction to a flare as important in influencing the effectiveness of the on-flare retreatment strategy. Moreover, this study identified the benefits and barriers of treating on-flare, which could be informative for daily practice decisions.
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Registered trials
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