Doctor-patient communication in patients with arthritis.

Fifty patients with a chronic form of arthritis were given a standard interview concerned with establishing what knowledge they had of their disease and the drugs they were receiving for its treatment. Eighty-six percent of patients overall knew the name of their disease and 74 percent, the names of the drugs which they were receiving. Seventy-three percent of patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were unaware that these drugs were likely to have gastro-intestinal side effects even though about half of these patients were receiving either soluble aspirin or indomethacin. Younger patients were more likely to be aware of potential gastro-intestinal side effects (46 percent) than older patients (19 percent). Thirteen patients with rheumatoid arthritis were receiving myocrisin or penicillamine which are more likely to be associated with severe side effects than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Four of five younger patients had some knowledge of the likely side effects of these drugs but none of the eight older patients knew this information. Written instructions should be given to older patients receiving these potentially toxic drugs.