Theodore Pincus MD

Theodore Pincus is Professor of Medicine at Rush University in Chicago, having served on faculties at Cornell, Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt, and NYU. His early laboratory research included a radioimmunoassay for DNA antibodies as a test for systemic lupus erythematosus, and genes that control experimental retrovirus infection.

In 1982, he recognized severe functional declines and premature death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), predicted most significantly by patient physical function scores and by low socioeconomic status. He documented that early methotrexate and 3 mg prednisone improved RA outcomes considerably.

Dr Pincus has developed quantitative, standard “scientific” patient self-report and physician data, beyond narrative descriptions, in all rheumatic diseases. Patient MDHAQ/RAPID3 (multidimensional health assessment questionnaire/routine assessment of patient index data) characterizes clinical status and change in status in all rheumatic diseases, without a need for different disease specific questionnaires in different patients. MDHAQ/FAST3 (fibromyalgia assessment screening tool) provides clues to fibromyalgia that agree more than 80% with official criteria based on a fibromyalgia-specific questionnaire. MDHAQ/MEMO (monitoring early medication outcomes) detects responses to new medications and early signs of adverse events. A physician RheuMetric checklist records levels of inflammation, joint or organ damage, and distress seen as fibromyalgia, depression, etc.

Dr. Pincus has published has published more than 450 reports, book chapters, editorials, etc. Current activities include further development of simple feasible electronic questionnaires for patients and physicians and further documentation of the importance of patient attitudes and activities in the outcomes of chronic diseases.