Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39762121›Full record

ArticleRMD open2025

Reference intervals of work ability and productivity loss and their use in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

Dafne Capelusnik, Wouter Smeets, Casper Webers, Sofia Ramiro, Elena Nikiphorou, Roel Braekers, Laura Boekel, Gertjan Wolbink, Annelies Boonen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in RMD open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Dafne CapelusnikUniversiteit Maastricht Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-9336-0416
Wouter SmeetsData Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
Casper WebersUniversiteit Maastricht Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3011-8547
Sofia RamiroDepartment of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands sofiaramiro@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-8899-9087
Elena NikiphorouCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6847-3726
Roel BraekersData Science Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium.
Laura BoekelResearch, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-5473-7786
Gertjan WolbinkImmunopathology, Amsterdam Rheumatology and Immunology Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1924-7460
Annelies BoonenDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum+, Maastricht, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-0682-9533

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo establish reference intervals (RIs) for work ability, at-work productivity loss and overall productivity loss in the general working population and to compare work ability and at-work productivity loss of patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (iRMD) with this population.

methodsCross-sectional analysis among patients with iRMDs and population controls without iRMDs having paid work and participating in a Dutch cohort study. They reported on three work outcomes: work ability (0-10), at-work productivity loss and overall productivity loss (0%-100%). A generalised additive model for location, shape and scale parameters was used to establish age-specific RIs and percentile curves for controls. The proportion of patients and controls below each percentile curve was compared.

results413 controls were included; 73% female, with mean age 53 (SD 10) years, 60% had high education, mean work ability was 8.7 (1.6), at-work productivity loss 6.3% (7.2) and overall work productivity loss 11% (25.6).Percentile curves illustrated that work ability and at-work/overall work productivity loss were worse with increasing age. For instance, for work ability, the 95% RI for 22 to 29-year individuals was 5.9-10, while for individuals between 50 and 59 years, it was 4.9-9.1. Patients compared with controls had worse work outcomes, especially for at-work and overall productivity loss.

conclusionWork ability and productivity are not perfect in the general population, based on the newly developed RIs for the three work outcomes. This calls for caution to not overestimate the iRMD impact on work outcomes. Nevertheless, iRMD patients have worse work ability and higher work productivity loss, compared with controls.

Indexed as

EfficiencyMusculoskeletal DiseasesRheumatic DiseasesAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNetherlandsReference ValuesWork Capacity EvaluationArthritisEpidemiologyOutcome Assessment, Health CarePatient Reported Outcome Measures

Identifiers

PMID39762121
PMCPMC11749610

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Registered trials

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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.