Assessment of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Plaque Psoriasis, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Patients´ Adherence Attitudes to Maintenance Therapy With a Scheduled Adalimumab Treatment in Routine Clinical Practice

The BMQ-Specific Scale comprises two 5-item factors assessing beliefs about the necessity of prescribed medication (Specific-Necessity) and concerns about prescribed medication based on beliefs about the danger of dependence, long-term toxicity, and the disruptive effects of medication (Specific-Concerns). Individual items are scored on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The total score ranges from 10 (lowest score) to 50 (highest score). Higher scores indicate stronger beliefs.

The BMQ-Specific Scale comprises two 5-item factors assessing beliefs about the necessity of prescribed medication (Specific-Necessity) and concerns about prescribed medication based on beliefs about the danger of dependence, long-term toxicity, and the disruptive effects of medication (Specific-Concerns). Individual items are scored on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The total score ranges from 10 (lowest score) to 50 (highest score). Higher scores indicate stronger beliefs. The MMAS is a 4-item self-reported measure of medication-taking behavior. It measures intentional and non-intentional non-adherence (based on forgetting, carelessness, stopping medication when feeling better, or stopping medication when feeling worse). The MMAS consists of 4 questions which can be answered with yes (0) and no (1). The MMAS score is the sum of all four questions and ranges from 0 (non-adherent) to 4 (adherent).

The MMAS is a 4-item self-reported measure of medication-taking behavior. It measures intentional and non-intentional non-adherence (based on forgetting, carelessness, stopping medication when feeling better, or stopping medication when feeling worse). The MMAS consists of 4 questions which can be answered with yes (0) and no (1). The MMAS score is the sum of all four questions and ranges from 0 (non-adherent) to 4 (adherent).

The 11-item Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) Version II is an instrument to assess participants' satisfaction with medication, providing scores on four scales (side effects, effectiveness, convenience, and global satisfaction). The 11 questions can be answered either with yes/no or by means of a five or seven stage scale (ranging from very unsatisfied to satisfied). TSQM Scale scores range from 0 to 100 and higher scores represent higher satisfaction.

The RADAI is a questionnaire for participants used for measuring disease activity. The index consists of 6 questions. The items ask the participants about (1) global disease activity in the last 6 months, (2) disease activity in terms of current swollen and tender joints, (3) arthritis pain, (4) the current status of health, (5) duration of morning stiffness, and (6) tender joints rated on a joint list. The joint list asks about pain in the left and right shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles and toes. The first 4 items are rated on a numeric rating scale from 0 to 10, where higher scores indicate more disease activity. The scores on the last 2 items range from 0 to 6 and 0 to 48, respectively, but are transformed on the same scale of 0 to 10. The RADAI total score is the sum of individual items divided by 5 (range 0-10), with a higher score signifying more disease activity.

The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) assesses disease activity by asking the participant to answer 6 questions (each on a 10 point numeric rating scale [NRS]) pertaining to symptoms experienced for the past week. For 5 questions (level of fatigue/tiredness, level of AS neck, back or hip pain, level of pain/swelling in joints, other than neck, back or hips, level of discomfort from any areas tender to touch or pressure, and level of morning stiffness), the response is from 0 (none) to 10 (very severe); for Question 6 (duration of morning stiffness), the response is from 0 (0 hours) to 10 (≥ 2 hours). The overall BASDAI score ranges from 0 to 10. Lower scores indicate less disease activity.

C-reactive protein (CRP) was measured from blood samples as a marker for inflammation. Higher levels are indicative of more inflammation. Normal concentration in healthy individuals is usually lower than 1 mg/dL, slightly increasing with age, and increased in a variety of disorders such as rheumatic diseases.

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) indirectly measures how much inflammation is in the body, and is based on the sedimentation and aggregation of erythrocytes (red blood cells). A higher ESR is indicative of increased inflammation. The normal range in healthy individuals is 0 - 10 mm/h for men and 0-15 mm/h for women.

The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) is a combination of the intensity of psoriasis, assessed by the erythema (reddening), induration (plaque thickness) and desquamation (scaling) on a scale from no symptoms (0), slight (1), moderate (2), marked (3) or very marked (4), together with the percentage of the area affected, rated on a scale from 0 to 6. PASI scoring is performed at four body areas, the head, arms, trunk, and legs. The total PASI score ranges from 0 to 72. The higher the total score, the more severe the disease.