Factors associated with knowledge and safety skills of arthritis patients receiving biologics: A survey of 677 patients

ObjectiveWe aimed to determine patient and rheumatologist factors associated with the safety skills of patients receiving bDMARDs for inflammatory arthritis.MethodsData were obtained from a descriptive observational cross-sectional nationwide survey performed in 2011 in France. Community- and hospital-based rheumatologists were selected at random. The BioSecure questionnaire was used to collect information on patient safety skills.ResultsOf the 677 patients included (mean age 53 ± 13 years old; 452 (67%) women, 411 (61%) had RA; 421 (64%) received subcutaneous bDMARDs). Patients had received information about their treatments from their physician 610 (90%), a nurse 207 (31%), by a written booklet 398 (59%), and/or during therapeutic patient education (TPE) sessions 99 (15%). The median BioSecure total score was 72/100 (IQR 60-82). In total, 99 (16.4%) patients had a low skill level; 321 (53.2%) a moderate skill level and 183 (30.3%) a high skill level. On multivariate regression analysis, as compared with high safety skills, low skills were associated with living alone (OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.3⿿6.0]), low educational level (OR 4.3 [2.1⿿8.9]), living in a large city (OR 3.1 [1.2⿿8.2]), being unemployed (OR 3.3 [1.6⿿6.7]) and not receiving written information, participating in TPE sessions or consulting a nurse (OR 3.8 [1.6⿿8.8]). One rheumatologist-related factor was a high number of patients receiving bDMARDs in the practice.ConclusionWe reveal factors associated with low safety skills of patients receiving bDMARDs for inflammatory arthritis, which should be addressed to improve safety skills in this population.