Session Information
Session Type: Poster Session (Sunday)
Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM
Background/Purpose: There is wide variation in the management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) worldwide with significant unmet needs such as delayed diagnosis. One way to achieve improvement in quality of care is to define quality standards (QS) in order to identify resources and processes which may need to be optimized.To develop ASAS QS to ultimately improve the quality of care for adults with axSpA.
Methods: The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) QS group developed a step-wise approach starting with (I) open discussions resulting in a proposal for possible key areas for quality improvement. Thereafter, (II) ASAS members and invited patients discussed a provisional list with the possibility to propose additional key areas. (III) The complete list was then evaluated by ASAS members and invited patients. (IV) ASAS QS group prioritized key areas, and (V) phrased QS for the most important key areas. Finally (VI), a draft version was commented on, discussed and finally agreed by ASAS members.
Results: The ASAS QS group, consisting of 20 rheumatologists, 2 physiotherapists and 2 patients, provided 34 potentially key areas for quality improvement which were commented by 140 participants (86 physicians, 42 patients). Within that process 3 new key areas were proposed and all 37 key areas were again evaluated by 120 participants (86 physicians, 29 patients). 5 key areas were identified to be most important to phrase QS: referral, rheumatologic assessment, treatment, education/self-management and comorbidities. Altogether, 9 QS (table) were endorsed by ASAS.
Conclusion: ASAS successfully developed the first QS set for improvement of health care provided for adults with axSpA.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Kiltz U, Landewé R, van der Heijde D, Rudwaleit M, Weisman M, Akkoç N, Boonen A, Brandt-Jürgens J, Carron P, Dougados M, Gossec L, Jongkees M, Machado P, Marzo-Ortega H, Molto A, Navarro-Compán V, Niedermann-Schneider K, Sampaio-Barros P, Slobodin G, Van den Bosch F, van Tubergen A, van weely S, Wiek D, Braun J. Development of a Set of ASAS Quality Standards for Adults with Axial Spondyloarthritis [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019; 71 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/development-of-a-set-of-asas-quality-standards-for-adults-with-axial-spondyloarthritis/. Accessed .« Back to 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting
ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/development-of-a-set-of-asas-quality-standards-for-adults-with-axial-spondyloarthritis/