System-level performance measures of access to rheumatology care: a population-based retrospective study of trends over time and the impact of regional rheumatologist supply in Ontario, Canada, 2002-2019.
Claire E H BarberDiane LacailleRuth CroxfordCheryl C M BarnabeDeborah A MarshallMichal AbrahamowiczHui XieJuan Antonio Aviña-ZubietaJohn M EsdaileGlen Stewart HazlewoodPeter D FarisSteven J KatzPaul MacMullanDianne MosherJessica WiddifieldPublished in: BMC rheumatology (2022)
While access to rheumatologists and treatment improved over time, shortcomings remain, particularly for DMARD use. Patients residing in regions with higher rheumatology supply were more likely to access care but less likely to receive timely treatment.