Self-Assessment Triage for Inflammatory Arthritis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Prompt referral to a rheumatologist is essential for the prevention of joint damage in people with inflammatory arthritis (IA). We investigated whether rheumatology referrals can improve triage if additional information from two self-assessment tools, namely the tender joint count (TJC) and the Early Inflammatory Arthritis Detection Tool (EIADT), was included with the referral letter.

Methods

Newly referred patients with no history of IA were recruited from two rheumatology practices. All patients were randomly allocated within a 2 × 2 factorial design to one of the following four groups: (1) no self-assessment, (2) TJC + EIADT, (3) TJC, and (4) EIADT. Participants were blinded to group allocation. Primary outcome was urgency rating, which was either 0 to 4 weeks,

SUBMITTER: Sweezie R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12854161 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature