Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe travel activities, preparations, and health problems encountered by patients with arthritis receiving biological therapy.
METHODS: A travel survey was conducted in a Danish rheumatology outpatient clinic by distribution of a semistructured questionnaire to 300 consecutive patients with arthritis.
RESULTS: Among the 273 (91%) patients returning the questionnaire, a history of traveling outside Denmark was reported by 203 (74%) respondents and outside Europe by 92 (34%). In 81% of the patients, travel activities had not decreased after the initiation of biological treatment. However, 24% reported that they had become more cautious regarding the choice of travel destination. Pre-travel advice was sought by less than one-third of the patients, whereas travel insurance was taken out by 86%, but only half of them had disclosed information about the biological treatment. Treatment was discontinued temporarily while traveling in 26% of patients on subcutaneous biologics. The main reason for discontinuation was concern about transport and storage of medicine. Only 6% of the travelers had experienced health problems, which were of only minor importance.
CONCLUSION: Treatment with biologics seems not to have any major influence on international travel activity among Danish patients with arthritis. Health problems when traveling were of minor importance. However, pre-travel advice issues, including treatment compliance, transport of medicine, and insurance coverage, need to be addressed proactively by the outpatient clinic staff as part of patient consultation.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | European journal of rheumatology |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 158-163 |
ISSN | 2147-9720 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2020 |
Keywords
- Arthritis
- biologic therapy
- travel