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. 2016 Apr 1:18:78.
doi: 10.1186/s13075-016-0977-2.

Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey

Roberta Ramonda  1 , Antonio Marchesoni  2 , Antonio Carletto  3 , Gerolamo Bianchi  4 , Maurizio Cutolo  5 , Gianfranco Ferraccioli  6 , Enrico Fusaro  7 , Salvatore De Vita  8 , Mauro Galeazzi  9 , Roberto Gerli  10 , Marco Matucci-Cerinic  11 , Giovanni Minisola  12 , Carlomaurizio Montecucco  13 , Raffaele Pellerito  14 , Fausto Salaffi  15 , Giuseppe Paolazzi  16 , Piercarlo Sarzi-Puttini  17 , Raffaele Scarpa  18 , Gianfilippo Bagnato  19 , Giovanni Triolo  20 , Guido Valesini  21 , Leonardo Punzi  22 , Ignazio Olivieri  23 ; ATLANTIS study group
Affiliations

Patient-reported impact of spondyloarthritis on work disability and working life: the ATLANTIS survey

Roberta Ramonda et al. Arthritis Res Ther. .

Abstract

Background: The aim was to establish how patients experience the impact of spondyloarthritis (SpA) on work disability and working life.

Methods: The survey was performed in 17/20 regions in Italy (1 January to 31 March 2013). A multiple-choice questionnaire was published on the official website of the sponsor - the National Association of Rheumatic Patients (ANMAR) - and hard-copies were distributed at outpatient clinics for rheumatic patients.

Results: Respondents (n = 770) were of both sexes (56 % men), educated (62 % at high school or more), of working age (75 % aged ≤60 years), and affected by SpA. The most common types diagnosed were ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (39 %) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (36 %). Respondents were working full-time (45 %), part-time (8 %) or had retired (22 %); 15 % were unemployed (for reasons linked to the disease or for other reasons, students or housewives). Patients reported disability (39 %), were receiving disability benefits (34 %), were experiencing important limitations that were hindering their professional development/career (36 %) and some had to change/leave their job or lost it because of SpA (21 %). Employed respondents (n = 383) had worked on average 32.2 h in the last 7 days. More hours of work were lost over the last 7 days due to SpA (2.39 h vs 1.67 h). The indirect costs of the disease amounted to €106/week for patients reporting well-being/good physical conditions/improvement and €216/week for those reporting permanent impairment.

Conclusions: Most patients were in the midst of their productive years and were experiencing considerable difficulties in carrying out their job because of the disease: half of them reported disability and one third were experiencing important limitations in their career perspective.

Keywords: Absenteeism; Presenteeism; Spondyloarthritis; Survey; WPI.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Main work status in patients with spondyloarthritis
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Results (employed/unemployed workers) by the survey
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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