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MADRID – Referral, treatment, and rapid access to care are three of nine new quality standards developed by a multidisciplinary task force of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) with the aim of improving the management of adults with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).
The other quality standards look at how to improve patient education and self-management and call for annual review, Uta Kiltz, MD, said at the European Congress of Rheumatology.
“Several unmet needs such as delayed diagnosis and restricted access to treatment have been described in patients with axSpA worldwide,” Dr. Kiltz observed in an interview. Results from the ASAS-COMOSPA study (Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77[3]:405-11), for example, highlighted inequity in the prescription of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs across the globe.
“The variation in quality of care is noted across rheumatologic diseases,” said Dr. Kiltz, of Ruhr University Bochum and Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet in Herne, Germany. “Assessing the quality of care provided to patients with axSpA is important not only to patients and physicians, but also to providers and purchasers of health care.”
A major goal of ASAS is to improve quality of care and health outcomes in patients with axSpA. To address the many gaps in current care, the society set out to develop quality standards to optimize patients’ access to care and their overall treatment.
“A quality standard consists of a quality statement accompanied by a measure. The measure can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the treatment,” Dr. Kiltz explained.
Quality standards are very different from recommendations or guidelines, she stressed. While the latter imply evidence-based actions that should be done to optimally diagnose and treat the disease, quality standards identify resources or processes that need to be optimized in high-priority areas for quality improvement.
The nine ASAS quality standards cover key areas for quality improvement relating to the care of adults with axSpA that need improvement worldwide. The statements were carefully phrased following a consensus, and the tools by which they could be measured agreed.
The first three standards concern the time to referral from primary to specialist care and state that people with a suspicion of axSpA are referred to a rheumatologist within 3 working days, assessed by a rheumatologist within 3 weeks after referral, and have their diagnostic work up completed within 2 months.
The next two quality standards concern pharmacologic management: Disease activity of people with axSpA is monitored under the supervision of a rheumatologist with validated composite scores at least twice a year, and in people with axSpA and active disease despite conventional therapy, treatment escalation to biologics is discussed.
Nonpharmacologic treatment is also covered, with the sixth quality standard stating: “People with axial SpA are informed about the benefits of regular exercise.”
Quality standard 7 states: “People with axSpA are offered education on the disease including self-management within 2 months of diagnosis,” Dr. Kiltz said. Rapid access to care is the focus of quality statement 8: “People with axSpA and disease flare or possible drug-related side effects receive advice within 2 working days of contacting the rheumatologist.”
The ninth and last quality standard states that people with axSpA should have a comprehensive annual review by a rheumatologist.
“These are the first quality standards applicable worldwide for the improvement of health care for adult patients with axSpA,” Dr. Kiltz said. “The ASAS quality standards are all measurable and achievable and are intended to minimize variation in quality of care.”
Dr. Kiltz had no relevant conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Kiltz U. Ann Rheum Dis. Jun 2019;78(Suppl 2):1-2. Abstract SP0004, doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-eular.8514.
MADRID – Referral, treatment, and rapid access to care are three of nine new quality standards developed by a multidisciplinary task force of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) with the aim of improving the management of adults with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).
The other quality standards look at how to improve patient education and self-management and call for annual review, Uta Kiltz, MD, said at the European Congress of Rheumatology.
“Several unmet needs such as delayed diagnosis and restricted access to treatment have been described in patients with axSpA worldwide,” Dr. Kiltz observed in an interview. Results from the ASAS-COMOSPA study (Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77[3]:405-11), for example, highlighted inequity in the prescription of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs across the globe.
“The variation in quality of care is noted across rheumatologic diseases,” said Dr. Kiltz, of Ruhr University Bochum and Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet in Herne, Germany. “Assessing the quality of care provided to patients with axSpA is important not only to patients and physicians, but also to providers and purchasers of health care.”
A major goal of ASAS is to improve quality of care and health outcomes in patients with axSpA. To address the many gaps in current care, the society set out to develop quality standards to optimize patients’ access to care and their overall treatment.
“A quality standard consists of a quality statement accompanied by a measure. The measure can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the treatment,” Dr. Kiltz explained.
Quality standards are very different from recommendations or guidelines, she stressed. While the latter imply evidence-based actions that should be done to optimally diagnose and treat the disease, quality standards identify resources or processes that need to be optimized in high-priority areas for quality improvement.
The nine ASAS quality standards cover key areas for quality improvement relating to the care of adults with axSpA that need improvement worldwide. The statements were carefully phrased following a consensus, and the tools by which they could be measured agreed.
The first three standards concern the time to referral from primary to specialist care and state that people with a suspicion of axSpA are referred to a rheumatologist within 3 working days, assessed by a rheumatologist within 3 weeks after referral, and have their diagnostic work up completed within 2 months.
The next two quality standards concern pharmacologic management: Disease activity of people with axSpA is monitored under the supervision of a rheumatologist with validated composite scores at least twice a year, and in people with axSpA and active disease despite conventional therapy, treatment escalation to biologics is discussed.
Nonpharmacologic treatment is also covered, with the sixth quality standard stating: “People with axial SpA are informed about the benefits of regular exercise.”
Quality standard 7 states: “People with axSpA are offered education on the disease including self-management within 2 months of diagnosis,” Dr. Kiltz said. Rapid access to care is the focus of quality statement 8: “People with axSpA and disease flare or possible drug-related side effects receive advice within 2 working days of contacting the rheumatologist.”
The ninth and last quality standard states that people with axSpA should have a comprehensive annual review by a rheumatologist.
“These are the first quality standards applicable worldwide for the improvement of health care for adult patients with axSpA,” Dr. Kiltz said. “The ASAS quality standards are all measurable and achievable and are intended to minimize variation in quality of care.”
Dr. Kiltz had no relevant conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Kiltz U. Ann Rheum Dis. Jun 2019;78(Suppl 2):1-2. Abstract SP0004, doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-eular.8514.
MADRID – Referral, treatment, and rapid access to care are three of nine new quality standards developed by a multidisciplinary task force of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) with the aim of improving the management of adults with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).
The other quality standards look at how to improve patient education and self-management and call for annual review, Uta Kiltz, MD, said at the European Congress of Rheumatology.
“Several unmet needs such as delayed diagnosis and restricted access to treatment have been described in patients with axSpA worldwide,” Dr. Kiltz observed in an interview. Results from the ASAS-COMOSPA study (Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77[3]:405-11), for example, highlighted inequity in the prescription of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs across the globe.
“The variation in quality of care is noted across rheumatologic diseases,” said Dr. Kiltz, of Ruhr University Bochum and Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet in Herne, Germany. “Assessing the quality of care provided to patients with axSpA is important not only to patients and physicians, but also to providers and purchasers of health care.”
A major goal of ASAS is to improve quality of care and health outcomes in patients with axSpA. To address the many gaps in current care, the society set out to develop quality standards to optimize patients’ access to care and their overall treatment.
“A quality standard consists of a quality statement accompanied by a measure. The measure can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the treatment,” Dr. Kiltz explained.
Quality standards are very different from recommendations or guidelines, she stressed. While the latter imply evidence-based actions that should be done to optimally diagnose and treat the disease, quality standards identify resources or processes that need to be optimized in high-priority areas for quality improvement.
The nine ASAS quality standards cover key areas for quality improvement relating to the care of adults with axSpA that need improvement worldwide. The statements were carefully phrased following a consensus, and the tools by which they could be measured agreed.
The first three standards concern the time to referral from primary to specialist care and state that people with a suspicion of axSpA are referred to a rheumatologist within 3 working days, assessed by a rheumatologist within 3 weeks after referral, and have their diagnostic work up completed within 2 months.
The next two quality standards concern pharmacologic management: Disease activity of people with axSpA is monitored under the supervision of a rheumatologist with validated composite scores at least twice a year, and in people with axSpA and active disease despite conventional therapy, treatment escalation to biologics is discussed.
Nonpharmacologic treatment is also covered, with the sixth quality standard stating: “People with axial SpA are informed about the benefits of regular exercise.”
Quality standard 7 states: “People with axSpA are offered education on the disease including self-management within 2 months of diagnosis,” Dr. Kiltz said. Rapid access to care is the focus of quality statement 8: “People with axSpA and disease flare or possible drug-related side effects receive advice within 2 working days of contacting the rheumatologist.”
The ninth and last quality standard states that people with axSpA should have a comprehensive annual review by a rheumatologist.
“These are the first quality standards applicable worldwide for the improvement of health care for adult patients with axSpA,” Dr. Kiltz said. “The ASAS quality standards are all measurable and achievable and are intended to minimize variation in quality of care.”
Dr. Kiltz had no relevant conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: Kiltz U. Ann Rheum Dis. Jun 2019;78(Suppl 2):1-2. Abstract SP0004, doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-eular.8514.
REPORTING FROM EULAR 2019 CONGRESS