Rheumatologists Overestimate Levels of Arthritis Disability

Rheumatologists overestimate the level of disability of rheumatoid arthritis patients. There is a substantial difference in how doctors and patients assess physical disability, according to researchers at the University of South Florida College of Medicine and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. In the study, published in the May 2007 issue of Journal of Rheumatology, rheumatologists overestimated the degree of functional disability in 69 percent of the 223 study participants.

When rating patients' degree of difficulty in performing daily living activities such as arising, walking, dressing, eating, hygiene, reach, grip, and outside activity, rheumatologists consistently rated physical function worse than patients rated themselves. The overestimation could affect evaluations for:

• employment
• disability benefits
• insurance claims

Rheumatologists tended to overestimate functional disability more for patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis than for patients with less severe disease. The study results seem contrary to what one would expect - that a patient may have a hard time convincing a doctor of their physical limitations. Visible joint deformities are often associated with high levels of disability but rheumatoid arthritis patients may generally be more capable than others perceive.

Related Resources:

• Arthritis and Disability Benefits
• Arthritis Affects Ability to Work
• Arthritis Affects Daily Living Activities
• Rheumatologist Shortage Faces Arthritis Patients
• Counseling and Coping Skills Reduce Arthritis Disability

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