Studies evaluating recognition and referral of early arthritis (EA) patients
| Study (LoE) | Population | Controls | Outcome | Sens | Spec | PPV | NPV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Recognition of EA | |||||||
| Pts newly referred to Rhe with EA confirmed (n=34) | Pts newly referred to Rhe w/o EA confirmed (n=450) | Diagnosis of EA according to a simple survey (3Q, 1 min) carried out by administrators by phone | 94 | 83 | 30 | 100 | |
| Diagnosis of EA according to a simple survey (3Q, 1 min) during a medical visit | 94 | 93 | 49 | 100 | |||
| Tavares et al (2b)20 | Pts newly referred to Rhe with EA confirmed (n=30) | Pts newly referred to Rhe w/o EA confirmed (n=113) | Diagnosis of EA according to a self-administered Inflammatory Arthritis Detection Tool | 86 | 87 | 67 | 86 |
| Study (LoE) | Population | Controls | Outcome | HR (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B. Referral of patients with EA | ||||
| Feldman et al (2b)21 | RA diagnosed by GP with referral to specialist, within 3 months (n=533) | RA diagnosed by GP with referral to specialist, beyond 3 months (n=518) | Orthopaedic surgery (early vs late referral) | 0.60 (0.44 to 0.82) |
| van der Linden et al (2b)5 | ERA referred to specialist within 3 months (n=412) | ERA with referral to specialist beyond 3 months (n=186) | Drug-free remission (≥1 year) (early vs late referral) | 1.9 (1.2 to 3.0) |
| Radiographic (total SvH) progression (late vs early referral) | 1.3 (NR) | |||
NPV and PPV are presented in percentages.
EA, early arthritis; LoE, level of evidence; NPV, negative predictive value; PPV, positive predictive value; Pts, patients; Q, question; Rhe, rheumatologist; Sens, sensitivity; Spec, specificity.
EA, early arthritis; ERA, early rheumatoid arthritis; GP, general practitioner; LoE, level of evidence; NR, not reported; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; SvH, Sharp-van der Heijde score.