Abstract
Women with active rheumatoid arthritis who were judged to be in need of hospitalization were assigned at random to receive inpatient therapy (n = 35) or intensive outpatient therapy (n = 36). All relevant costs of treatment were measured. At 19 weeks, clinical outcomes, as summarized in a pooled index, were significantly better in the inpatient group (pooled index units: inpatient 0.72, outpatient 0.25; F[1,69] = 10.9, P = 0.002). Inpatient therapy produced a sustained three-fold increase in efficacy, at a 2.5-fold increase in cost to society.
Publication types
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Clinical Trial
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Comparative Study
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Randomized Controlled Trial
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adolescent
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Adult
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Aged
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Ambulatory Care / economics*
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Analysis of Variance
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Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
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Arthritis, Rheumatoid / blood
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Arthritis, Rheumatoid / drug therapy*
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Arthritis, Rheumatoid / physiopathology
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Blood Sedimentation
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Cost-Benefit Analysis
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Female
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Hospitalization / economics*
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Humans
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Joints / physiopathology
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Middle Aged
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Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
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Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic