Assessing the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on quality of life in a group of patients attending a rheumatology clinic in Sri Lanka

BackgroundRheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a worldwide distribution affecting 0.5–3% of the population. We used Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) to assess the quality of life (QOL) in a sample of patients with RA. Disability assessment component of the HAQ; the HAQ-DI, assesses a patient's level of functional ability and has been validated and used in clinical trials extensively.ObjectiveTo find the impact of illness on quality of life, in a sample of patients with RA using HAQ, and to calculate the HAQ-DI. Additionally, to find the age distribution and relationship of HAQ-DI with VAS, DAS28 and duration of illness.MethodologyA self administered questionnaire was used in a random sample of 100 patients attending a rheumatology clinic. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS statistical package version 17 (SPSS Institute, Chicago).ResultsWe had a 100% female population with mild disease HAQ-DI (0–<1)] in 62% of patients, while severe disease (≥2 and ≤3) was found in 5%. RA prevalence was highest in 41–50 years group (mean age ± SD = 50.8 ± 11.5 years). VAS had a positive correlation with HAQ-DI. Relationship of HAQ-DI and DAS28 was not statistically significant (p = 0.72), although there was a positive correlation between DAS28 and HAQ-DI in disease duration more than 5 years group (r = 0.19). Mean HAQ score was the highest in more than 10 years disease duration population (p = 0.006).ConclusionIn a busy clinic setting, simple parameters like disease duration and VAS give an indication about the functional effect of illness on a patient's quality of life.