Patient perspective: fatigue as a recommended patient centered outcome measure in rheumatoid arthritis

The Patient Perspective Workshop at OMERACT 8 considered evidence for the importance of fatigue to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and whether measurement of fatigue meets the requirements of the OMERACT filter. The workshop participants included 20 patients from 10 countries and 60 other OMERACT participants. Introductory papers and detailed notes for discussion group members set out the evidence from the literature and from recent analyses of clinical study data available to several participants. The workshop concluded that fatigue is a symptom that is important to patients, is commonly reported by patients, is often severe, can be measured by several current instruments that pass the OMERACT filter, is responsive to some interventions, and provides information additional to that commonly obtained from currently used outcomes. The final OMERACT plenary session endorsed by a very large majority (89%) the proposal that, in addition to the "core set" of outcome measures currently in widespread use, fatigue should be measured in future studies of RA whenever possible.