Patient global assessment (PtGA) is a valid and responsive tool in PsA, according to a systematic review published in the Journal of Rheumatology. Elisabetta Chessa, MD, and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of research articles listed in PubMed to examine the psychometric properties of PtGA. The researchers assessed the articles for comprehensiveness and PtGA’s correlation with other disease assessment instruments and QOL measurements. The analysis included 17,435 patients from 60 articles. The study team evaluated PtGA in 27 formulations, primarily focusing on disease activity assessment, with only three studies considering global health status. The review showed a strong correlation (r>0.50) with patient-reported outcomes, while correlations with other disease activity indices varied from weak to moderate (r=0.20-0.50). Three studies demonstrated a positive discordance between PtGA and physician global assessment, indicating that physicians underestimated patients’ perceptions of disease activity. Twenty-four studies evaluated responsiveness, which correlated strongly (r=0.51-0.52) with joint count index variations, affirming PtGA’s reliability in assessing psoriatic arthritis. According to Dr. Chessa and colleagues, this systematic review confirms PtGA’s validity and responsiveness in evaluating psoriatic arthritis, emphasizing its importance in capturing patients’ perspectives on disease activity.
