Double positivity for rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP autoantibodies: improving referral from primary care of patients suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis.
María SalinasÁlvaro BlascoEmilio FloresMauricio MinguezCarlos Leiva-SalinasPublished in: Primary health care research & development (2024)
As double positivity for RF and anti-CCP notably increases the positive likelihood ratio of RA. The intervention enabled a reduction of 2813 tests in 22 months. Moreover, the frequency of unnecessary referrals was reduced from 22% to 8.2%, while that of missed patients decreased slightly (from 21% to 16%), with the number of patients diagnosed per RF request remaining unchanged. In terms of costs, we saved 19.4 RF tests per anti-CCP test added.We developed a simple and cost-effective strategy for reducing the time to diagnosis of RA that can improve patients' quality of life. This approach was supported by primary and specialised care.
Keyphrases
- end stage renal disease
- rheumatoid arthritis
- primary care
- ejection fraction
- chronic kidney disease
- newly diagnosed
- peritoneal dialysis
- randomized controlled trial
- systemic lupus erythematosus
- pulmonary embolism
- ankylosing spondylitis
- pain management
- palliative care
- systemic sclerosis
- quality improvement
- health insurance
- rheumatoid arthritis patients