To investigate whether the use of an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based instrument to structure multidisciplinary care improves clinical effectiveness and satisfaction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) admitted for multidisciplinary team care.
Consecutive patients with RA admitted to an inpatient or day patient multidisciplinary team care ward were included during a 12-month period before (period I) and after (period II) the introduction of an ICF-based rehabilitation tool (Rehabilitation Activities Profile [RAP]). Patients were assessed at admission, discharge, and 6 weeks thereafter. The primary outcome measure was a patient-oriented measure of functional ability (McMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire [MACTAR]), whereas secondary outcome measures included measures of physical and mental functioning, quality of life, disease activity, and patient satisfaction. Change scores between periods were compared using analysis of covariance.
A total of 80 and 85 patients were included in periods I and II, respectively. Concerning the improvement of the MACTAR score and all other secondary clinical outcome measures, there was no significant difference between the 2 periods. Patient satisfaction with care was slightly higher in period II than in period I, with the differences regarding the total score of a multidimensional satisfaction questionnaire and the domains focusing on individual problems and empathy reaching statistical significance.
The introduction of the RAP did not change clinical effectiveness but had a modest beneficial impact on patient satisfaction with care in patients with RA admitted for multidisciplinary team care.