Adult axial spondyloarthritis screening and referral practices amongst:
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Information about the study:
PREAMBLE:
You are invited to participate in a study about adult axial spondyloarthritis screening and referral practices amongst primary care physicians, physiotherapists, chiropractors and nurse practitioners working in the province of Ontario.
Despite the advent of effective new treatments for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), there remains an unacceptably long delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis. At present, people with AS wait an average of 8 years between the onset of back pain and the time they are diagnosed by a rheumatologist. The recent recognition of "non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis" has set the stage for earlier diagnosis of chronic back pain resulting from inflammation. Within the province of Ontario, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors routinely encounter people with chronic back pain. However it is not known how these health care professionals screen and refer patients with suspected axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).
The objectives of this study are to understand the screening and referral practices of family physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors with regards to:
1) clinical knowledge of axial SpA;
2) awareness and use of tools that currently exist to screen for axial SpA; and,
3) factors that help and hinder referral of patients with suspected axial SpA for diagnostic assessment by rheumatologists.
Our goal is to develop strategies and models of care to facilitate early detection of adults with axial SpA within primary care settings in the province of Ontario in order to ensure optimal care and outcomes in this patient population.
Despite the advent of effective new treatments for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), there remains an unacceptably long delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis. At present, people with AS wait an average of 8 years between the onset of back pain and the time they are diagnosed by a rheumatologist. The recent recognition of "non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis" has set the stage for earlier diagnosis of chronic back pain resulting from inflammation. Within the province of Ontario, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors routinely encounter people with chronic back pain. However it is not known how these health care professionals screen and refer patients with suspected axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).
The objectives of this study are to understand the screening and referral practices of family physicians, nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and chiropractors with regards to:
1) clinical knowledge of axial SpA;
2) awareness and use of tools that currently exist to screen for axial SpA; and,
3) factors that help and hinder referral of patients with suspected axial SpA for diagnostic assessment by rheumatologists.
Our goal is to develop strategies and models of care to facilitate early detection of adults with axial SpA within primary care settings in the province of Ontario in order to ensure optimal care and outcomes in this patient population.
THE ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES.
Your completion of this questionnaire indicates your consent to participate in this research study. You will be asked to answer questions about your everyday routine practices when assessing a patient with low back pain. While you may not directly benefit from being in this study, information learned from this study is expected to help inform the development of strategies and models of care to facilitate the early detection of adults with axial SpA within primary care settings in the province of Ontario. Information gained from the study will generate knowledge around screening practices and help to inform content of future knowledge translation efforts for primary care providers. We are not aware of any risks associated with this study
If you decide to participate, you are free to stop at any time; you may also skip questions if you do not want to answer them; or, you may choose to not return to the questionnaire.
All information collected during this study, including personal information/organization/clinic, will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone outside the study unless required by law. A unique identifier will be assigned to all questionnaires. Study data will be securely stored at the University Health Network (UHN) for a storage period of 10 years. Any knowledge gained as a result of this study will be reported in de-identified form and you will not be named in any reports, publications, or presentations.
Representatives of the UHN including the UHN Research Ethics Board look at the study records and at your study information to check that the information collected for the study is correct and to make sure the study is following proper laws and guidelines.
Consent: By completing and submitting this questionnaire, you agree to take part in the study. Answers will be used for study related purposes.