Optimizing Clinical Outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Strategies for Improving Adherence. Reactions from the Patient Perspective - A Discussion with Kelly Young

The therapeutic goal for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is ultimately to achieve disease remission and improve quality of life for patients. A number of factors often prevent remission. These include less-than-satisfactory treatment coupled with inconsistent management strategies. Under these circumstances, patient adherence to the prescribed treatment regimen can be suboptimal; in addition, discordance between patient and provider can occur.

In an effort to bridge the gap between physician and patient perspectives on the quality of care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, CME Outfitters invited a well-respected advocate and patient, Kelly Young,(1) to offer her insights from a patient perspective and from thousands of interactions with other patients, caregivers, and researchers. True to the goals of CME to reflect on educational achievement and address all sides of clinical practice, this article reports on a live CME/CE broadcast of November 2011.(2) 

This Compass Points™ article will attempt to explore unmet needs in the managing RA from the patients point of view, providing the reader with the most significant points garnered from an in-depth conversation with Ms. Young.