Background/Purpose: Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) is a relatively new disease concept. We developed an educational program to promote early and appropriate referral to specialists based on a correct understanding of nr-axSpA. The objective of this study was to analyze the outcomes and challenges identified through the educational program.

Methods: The program targeted physicians in internal medicine, orthopedics, and dermatology, as well as other healthcare professionals. A 30-minute educational video on nr-axSpA was uploaded to the official website of the society. A 30-question quiz was created to assess knowledge before and after watching the video. Upon accessing the website, participants first answered 20 questions. After completing this initial quiz, they were allowed to watch the video. Following the viewing, they answered another set of 20 questions—10 of which were identical to those from the pre-video quiz, and the remaining 10 were new. Anonymous response data were analyzed to assess changes in correct answer rates before and after the video, and to explore pre-video correct answer rates by participant background.

Results: From April 2023 to September 2024, 420 healthcare professionals registered for the program. Membership distribution was as follows: 88% were members of the Japan College of Rheumatology, 25% of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association, 11% of the Japan Spondyloarthritis Society, and 4% of the Japanese Society for Psoriasis Research. A total of 316 participants completed the pre-video quiz, with a median correct answer rate of 55% (range: 20–100%; Figure 1A). After viewing the video, 180 participants completed the post-video quiz, achieving a median correct answer rate of 80% (range: 30–100%; Figure 1B). A paired test revealed a significant improvement in the correct answer rate from 57% to 80% (p < 0.0001). For the identical 10 questions, the correct response rate significantly increased from 55% before viewing to 86% after viewing (p = 0.0033). Even for different questions, there was a trend toward improvement, with correct responses increasing from 61% before viewing to 75% after viewing (p = 0.20). No correlation was observed between years of professional experience in spondyloarthritis and pre-video correct answer rates (correlation coefficient r² = 0.0042).

Conclusion: The educational program demonstrated clear benefits, indicating that when nr-axSpA is suspected, referral to specialists or clinicians with relevant training–rather than relying primarily on years of clinical experience in spondyloarthritis–may be both appropriate and advantageous.

The distribution of the correct answer rates of the pre- and post-video quiz.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/effectivenss-of-an-educational-program-on-non-radiographic-axial-spondyloarthritis/