Patients Journey Before Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis Contributes to disease's Activity Level

Introduction The help-seeking process in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is challenging, and its study is limited in Latin America. The study describes the real-life journey before patients' incorporation into an early arthritis clinic (EAC) and its impact on baseline and 1-year cumulative disease activity levels. Patients and Methods The patient's journey was assessed through a questionnaire that captured the patient's path from the first disease-related symptom to the initial assessment in the EAC. A disease activity (28 joints evaluated)–erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) score >5.1 defined a high-disease activity level. The mean of individual consecutive DAS28-ESR scores summarized cumulative DAS28-ESR. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with a DAS28-ESR score >5.1 at the first assessment. Linear regression analysis assessed the impact of general practitioner (GP)–first consultant and time on disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on baseline and cumulative DAS28-ESR scores. Results Through January 2023, the EAC had 241 RA patients, among whom 209 (86.7%) completed the patients' journey questionnaire (PJQ) and 176 (84.2%) at least 1 year of follow-up. A GP was the first consultant in 76.6% of the patients, and only 12.4% were prescribed DMARDs. Patients had additional evaluations with either rheumatologists (38.6%) or other specialists (31.6%), and half of them were initiated DMARDs. GP-first consultant (adjusted odds ratio: 2.314, 95% confidence interval: 1.190–4.500, p = 0.013) and time on DMARDs (adjusted odds ratio: 0.738, 95% confidence interval: 0.585–0.929, p = 0.010) were associated with baseline DAS28-ESR score >5.1. The B coefficient magnitudes for GP-first consultant and time on DMARDs to predict cumulative DAS28 progressively decreased during the first year of follow-up. Conclusions Patients' journey before recent-onset RA diagnosis predicts first-year disease activity levels.