Emerging issues in pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis: results of a national needs assessment survey identifying practice variations for the development of Canadian Rheumatology Association clinical practice recommendations.

OBJECTIVE

To describe Canadian clinical practice patterns in the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and identify practice variations.

METHODS

A 44-item pre-guideline needs assessment survey was sent to all members of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondent characteristics and practice patterns.

RESULTS

Survey respondents (n = 164) reported variations in practice regarding assessment strategies, treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drug monotherapy versus combination therapy, methotrexate dosing and escalation, corticosteroid strategies, and optimal use of biologics.

CONCLUSIONS

Practice variations identified in this pre-guideline needs assessment survey were used to formulate key treatment questions for the development of CRA recommendations.