Article

In evaluating complex interventions, it is a challenge for
researchers to provide transparent reporting of the intervention content with
sufficient detail and clarity such that effects can be compared across studies or
countries. OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the content of current
rehabilitation for patients with inflammatory arthritis across 4 northern European countries. METHODS: A total of 731 patients with
inflammatory rheumatic diseases participated in a multicentre, longitudinal
observational study carried out in Sweden, The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway.
Data on context, structure and process were reported by patients and teams at the
different participating study sites according to the Scandinavian Team Arthritis
Register-European Team Intiative for Care Research (STAR-ETIC) framework.
RESULTS: Although large similarities were found in the context, there were
important differences between the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries.
Regarding structure, there were considerable differences in the length of the
rehabilitation period across settings and countries. The most evident differences
concerned process variables, especially the type and dosage of individual
treatment modalities. CONCLUSION: The variation in important aspects of arthritis
rehabilitation found in the present study underline the need for transparent and
standardized description of these variables when comparing effects across settings and countries.
A standardized description of current practice can be
achieved by the STAR-ETIC framework.

Langue : ANGLAIS