Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients
| Characteristics | N=1237 |
|---|---|
| Age (years) | 48.9±13.4 |
| Sex | |
| Male | 217 (17.5%) |
| Female | 1020 (82.5%) |
| Occupation | |
| Persons in charge of party organizations, state organizations, mass organizations, social organizations, enterprises, and institutions | 124 (10.0%) |
| Professionals | 109 (8.8%) |
| Clerks | 85 (6.9%) |
| Service staff | 148 (12.0%) |
| Agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, and auxiliary personnel | 183 (14.8%) |
| Manufacturing and related personnel | 39 (3.2%) |
| Soldier | 1 (0.1%) |
| Others | 548 (44.3%) |
| Education Level | |
| Junior high school or below | 555 (44.9%) |
| Senior high school | 342 (27.6%) |
| College | 312 (25.2%) |
| Master degree or above | 28 (2.3%) |
| Duration of Rheumatoid Arthritis (Years) | |
| <2 | 385 (31.1%) |
| 2–5 | 358 (28.9%) |
| 6–10 | 218 (17.6%) |
| >10 | 276 (22.3%) |
| Severity of the Disease Assessed by the Patient | |
| Severe | 230 (18.6%) |
| Moderate | 543 (43.9%) |
| Mild | 425 (34.4%) |
| Extremely mild | 39 (3.2%) |
| DAS28-ESR | 4.2±1.7 |
| DAS28-CRP | 3.7±1.6 |
| PtGA | 4.29±2.52 |
| Current Medication | |
| csDMARDs | 1037 (83.8%) |
| Glucocorticoids | 488 (39.5%) |
| bDMARDs | 202 (16.3%) |
| Communication with Physicians | |
| Full communication | 818 (66.1%) |
| Good communication, but a little hasty | 247 (20.0%) |
| Average communication level and can get the information | 98 (7.9%) |
| Less communication with physicians | 60 (4.9%) |
| Basically no communication | 14 (1.1%) |
| Cost of Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis, Proportion of Household Income (%) | |
| <10 | 442 (35.7%) |
| 10–30 | 274 (22.2%) |
| 31–50 | 264 (21.3%) |
| >50 | 257 (20.8%) |
| Satisfaction Towards General Diagnostic and Treatment Services | |
| Extremely satisfied | 745 (60.2%) |
| Very satisfied | 287 (23.2%) |
| Satisfied | 109 (8.8%) |
| Somewhat satisfied | 79 (6.4%) |
| Not quite satisfied | 6 (0.5%) |
| Dissatisfied | 3 (0.2%) |
| Extremely dissatisfied | 8 (0.7%) |
Note: Data are expressed as mean±standard deviation or n (%).
Abbreviations: bDMARDs, biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; csDMARDS, conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs; DAS28-ESR, disease activity score 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate; DAS28-CRP, disease activity score 28-C-reactive protein; PtGA, patient global assessment of disease activity.