ACR Meeting Abstracts

ACR Meeting Abstracts

Abstract Number: 1890

Daily Management of Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Self-monitoring of Disease Activity with a Smartphone App Is Feasible – a Proof of Concept Study

Uta Kiltz1, Robin Kempin1, Jutta Richter2, Anna Schlegel1, Xenofon Baraliakos1, Styliani Tsiami3, Ioana Andreica1, Bjoern Buehring4, David Kiefer1 and Juergen Braun1, 1Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany, 2Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Medical Faculty, Duesseldorf, Germany, Duesseldorf, Germany, 3Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany, 4Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet, Ruhr-University Bochum, Velbert, Germany

Meeting: ACR Convergence 2020

Keywords: , , ,

Session Information

Date: Monday, November 9, 2020

Session Title: Spondyloarthritis Including Psoriatic Arthritis – Diagnosis, Manifestations, & Outcomes Poster III: Axial SpA

Session Type: Poster Session D

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: Assessment and monitoring of disease activity and functioning is of major importance for the course of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). This is equally important for patient monitoring in daily routine as also for tight control strategies. Even though there is evidence that a closer monitoring of patients is better than routine care, more intensive treatment schedules are often not realized in daily practice for several reasons including shortage of time and personal resources. Using application software devices (apps) in clinical routine for the recording of disease-specific patient reported outcomes (PRO) may facilitate monitoring and improve clinical decision processes but there is a lack of data on the use of apps.To investigate the use of such App technology in respect to usability, feasibility and equivalence of data in daily care of patients with axSpA. In more detail, it will be first determined how many patients are capable and ready to use the technology in a routine setting. Furthermore, the usage and behavior of patients using the app will be studied, the usability of the app and the equivalence of the collected parameters as well as the adherence to the documentation of disease activity over time

Methods: Patients diagnosed with axSpA were consecutively included in this ongoing monocentric prospective cohort study. In addition to patient and disease characteristics, information on previous experience with digital health apps was collected. Patients were asked to submit BASDAI and BASFI scores regularly every 2 weeks. The free to use AxSpA Live App is available for Android and iOS as a Class I certified medical device.

Results: Out of 103 axSpA patients asked, 69 patients with axSpA (mean age 41.5 ± 11.3, 58% male, 76.8% use of bDMARDs, BASDAI 4.3 ± 2.0, BASFI 3.8 ± 2.5) out of 103 patients (67%) agreed to use participate, while 5 did not have a smartphone, 1 was unable to download the app for technical reasons, 28 reported other personal reasons). Of the 69, 62 patients (89.9%) reported using electronic media frequently and had used digital health apps (mean apps used 1.0 ± 1.3) in everyday life before. There were no systematic differences between pain levels documented on paper or by app at baseline (ICC 0.9 (95%CI 0.82 – 0.93). Out of 55 patients who completed week 2, only 33 patients (60%) used the App regularly to transmit their BASDAI/BASFI responses within the first two weeks (60%). Patients who started a new drug treatment because of high disease activity, reported BASDAI values more often than patients without a treatment change within a follow-up period of 5.5± 2.4 weeks (Table).

Patients without change in their medication (n=53)

Patients with change in their medication (n=16)

Age, years

42.0 (11.9)

39.8 (9.3)

Sex, male (%)

62.3

43.8

BASDAI, baseline

4.1 (2.1)

4.9 (1.7)

BASFI, baseline

3.8 (2.6)

3.8 (2.3)

Time of follow-up, in weeks

5.4 (2.4)

5.6 (2.5)

Number of transmitted BASDAI values at week 2

22 (41%)

11 (69%)

Median number of transmitted BASDAI values during follow up

1.0  (3.6)

1.5 (1.4)

Conclusion: The majority of patients with axSpA were able to use the AxSpA Live App. Most patients report scores regularly. The current disease activity seems to influence the adherence to reporting.

Disclosure: U. Kiltz, Abbvie, 2, 5, Biocad, 2, 5, Biogen, 2, 5, Chugai, 2, 5, Eli Lilly, 2, 5, Grünenthal, 2, 5, Janssen, 2, 5, MSD, 2, 5, Novartis, 2, 5, Pfizer, 2, 5, Roche, 2, 5, UCB, 2, 5; R. Kempin, None; J. Richter, None; A. Schlegel, None; X. Baraliakos, None; S. Tsiami, None; I. Andreica, None; B. Buehring, GE/Lunar, 1, 2, Kinemed, 1, Gilead, 1, AbbVie, 1, 2, Lilly, 1, Janssen, 1, Amgen, 1, 2, UCB, 1, 2, 3, MSD, 1; D. Kiefer, AbbVie, 1, Chugai, 1, Janssen, 1, MSD, 1, Novartis, 1, 2, Pfizer, 1, Roche, 1, UCB, 1; J. Braun, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Kiltz U, Kempin R, Richter J, Schlegel A, Baraliakos X, Tsiami S, Andreica I, Buehring B, Kiefer D, Braun J. Daily Management of Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Self-monitoring of Disease Activity with a Smartphone App Is Feasible – a Proof of Concept Study [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2020; 72 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/daily-management-of-patients-with-axial-spondyloarthritis-self-monitoring-of-disease-activity-with-a-smartphone-app-is-feasible-a-proof-of-concept-study/. Accessed July 1, 2022.

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