Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Delays in assessment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: variations across Europe

Raza, Karim ; Stack, Rebecca ; Kumar, Kanta ; Filer, Andrew ; Detert, Jacqueline ; Bastian, Hans ; Burmester, Gerd R. ; Sidiropoulos, Prodromos ; Kteniadaki, Eleni and Repa, Argyro , et al. (2011) In Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 70(10). p.1822-1825
Abstract
Objective The first 3 months after symptom onset represent an important therapeutic window for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigates the extent and causes of delay in assessment of patients with RA in eight European countries. Method Data on the following levels of delay were collected from 10 centres (Berlin, Birmingham, Heraklion, Lund, Prague, Stockholm, Umea, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich): (1) from onset of RA symptoms to request to see healthcare professional (HCP); (2) from request to see HCP to assessment by that HCP; (3) from initial assessment by HCP to referral to rheumatologist; and (4) from referral to rheumatologist to assessment by that rheumatologist. Results Data were collected from 482 patients with RA. The... (More)
Objective The first 3 months after symptom onset represent an important therapeutic window for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigates the extent and causes of delay in assessment of patients with RA in eight European countries. Method Data on the following levels of delay were collected from 10 centres (Berlin, Birmingham, Heraklion, Lund, Prague, Stockholm, Umea, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich): (1) from onset of RA symptoms to request to see healthcare professional (HCP); (2) from request to see HCP to assessment by that HCP; (3) from initial assessment by HCP to referral to rheumatologist; and (4) from referral to rheumatologist to assessment by that rheumatologist. Results Data were collected from 482 patients with RA. The median delay across the 10 centres from symptom onset to assessment by the rheumatologist was 24 weeks, with the percentage of patients seen within 12 weeks of symptom onset ranging from 8% to 42%. There were important differences in the levels underlying the total delays at individual centres. Conclusions This research highlights the contribution of patients, professionals and health systems to treatment delay for patients with RA in Europe. Although some centres have strengths in minimising certain types of delay, interventions are required in all centres to ensure timely treatment for patients. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
volume
70
issue
10
pages
1822 - 1825
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000294491600021
  • scopus:80052475533
  • pmid:21821867
ISSN
1468-2060
DOI
10.1136/ard.2011.151902
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6116a151-101f-4f2f-b3a1-26c8e4217f82 (old id 2160856)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:00:35
date last changed
2022-04-21 19:12:23
@article{6116a151-101f-4f2f-b3a1-26c8e4217f82,
  abstract     = {{Objective The first 3 months after symptom onset represent an important therapeutic window for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigates the extent and causes of delay in assessment of patients with RA in eight European countries. Method Data on the following levels of delay were collected from 10 centres (Berlin, Birmingham, Heraklion, Lund, Prague, Stockholm, Umea, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich): (1) from onset of RA symptoms to request to see healthcare professional (HCP); (2) from request to see HCP to assessment by that HCP; (3) from initial assessment by HCP to referral to rheumatologist; and (4) from referral to rheumatologist to assessment by that rheumatologist. Results Data were collected from 482 patients with RA. The median delay across the 10 centres from symptom onset to assessment by the rheumatologist was 24 weeks, with the percentage of patients seen within 12 weeks of symptom onset ranging from 8% to 42%. There were important differences in the levels underlying the total delays at individual centres. Conclusions This research highlights the contribution of patients, professionals and health systems to treatment delay for patients with RA in Europe. Although some centres have strengths in minimising certain types of delay, interventions are required in all centres to ensure timely treatment for patients.}},
  author       = {{Raza, Karim and Stack, Rebecca and Kumar, Kanta and Filer, Andrew and Detert, Jacqueline and Bastian, Hans and Burmester, Gerd R. and Sidiropoulos, Prodromos and Kteniadaki, Eleni and Repa, Argyro and Saxne, Tore and Turesson, Carl and Mann, Herman and Vencovsky, Jiri and Catrina, Anca and Chatzidionysiou, Aikaterini and Hensvold, Aase and Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Solbritt and Binder, Alexa and Machold, Klaus and Kwiakowska, Brygida and Ciurea, Adrian and Tamborrini, Giorgio and Kyburz, Diego and Buckley, Christopher D.}},
  issn         = {{1468-2060}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{1822--1825}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases}},
  title        = {{Delays in assessment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: variations across Europe}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/ard.2011.151902}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/ard.2011.151902}},
  volume       = {{70}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}