The relationship between patient satisfaction with health and clinical measures of function and disease status in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Objective. To investigate whether patient satisfaction with health is a dis tinct aspect of clinical or health status in a sample of patients with psor iatic arthritis (PsA). Methods. One hundred sixty-nine consecutive outpatients attending the Unive rsity of Toronto PsA Clinic completed the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scal es II (AIMS2), which includes both a global rating of patient satisfaction with health and a scale that assesses satisfaction with functioning in 12 h ealth domains. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological assessments of functi on, pain, inflammation, and damage were also performed according to a stand ard protocol. Results. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the AIMS2 global ratin gs of patient satisfaction with health were not associated with traditional clinical measures of inflammation and damage, but were associated with Ame rican College of Rheumatology (ACR) functional class and number of fibromya lgia tender points. Patient satisfaction was also related to annual family income and use of retinoids or corticosteroids, Similarly, linear regressio n analysis showed that scores on the AIMS2 satisfaction scale were unrelate d to traditional clinical measures of inflammation and damage, with the exc eption of total number of actively inflamed joints. ACR functional class, a nnual family income, and comorbidity were also related to scores on the sat isfaction scale. Conclusion, Patient satisfaction with health appears to be relatively indep endent of traditional clinical measures of physical functioning, pain, and disease status.