Background/Purpose: The routine assessment of patient index data (RAPID3) was developed for monitoring and prognosis of patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and has since been extended for use in other rheumatologic disorders including ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and Sjogren’s disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the RAPID3 and inflammatory markers as well as the physician global assessment of disease (PGA) in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

Methods: Twenty-one patients, including four new cases and seventeen previously diagnosed cases of PMR, were enrolled in the study over a one year period. Each patient completed a RAPID3 questionnaire, had a clinical examination by a rheumatologist and had routine laboratory testing for sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as part of routine care at each clinical visit. PGA was collected as active v. inactive disease. The rheumatologist was blinded to the results of the RAPID3 at the time of the visit. The independent associations between RAPID3 and other clinical variables were determined by multivariable linear regression models incorporating generalized estimating equations.

Results: Data was gathered for a total of 53 visits. The patients included in the study were all Caucasian and majority were female (66.7%). The average age was 76 ± 12. The average daily prednisone dose over the course of the year was 5.6 ± 5.1 mg. 43.6% of visits were considered in remission according to the scores on the RAPID3. Nineteen percent of visits had normal ESR and CRP and 75% were felt to be inactive by the treating rheumatologist. In univariate analysis, higher scores on the RAPID3 were correlated with higher ESR [B 0.095 (0.026, 0.17) p=0.008], female sex [B: 4.03 (0.70, 7.37) p=0.02] and physician global scores [B: 7.75 (4.45, 11.1) p<0.001]. In multivariable models, only female sex and physician global were independently associated with RAPID3 score. PGA strongly associated with ESR [B:  11.8 (3.21, 20.36) p<0.001].

Conclusion: The RAPID3 is modestly correlated with inflammatory markers and is strongly associated with physician global assessment of disease activity in PMR. Female sex was also independently associated with higher RAPID3 scores in this population. Further study of the use of RAPID3 in the assessment of disease activity in PMR is of value to determine its potential use as a rapid and easily accessible screening tool for active disease.