Research Completed

How can we tell if Ankylosing Spondylitis care is being given according to recommendations?

Scientific Study Title:

Measurable definitions of ankylosing spondylitis management recommendations are needed for use in observational studies.

Start Date:

June 2012

End Date:

July 2014

Research Category

Arthritis Care

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Methodology

Execution of Research

AS (short for ‘ankylosing spondylitis’) is a severe form of spondyloarthritis (that affects the back, hips, and often other parts of the body. Specialist doctors have developed recommendations for how to care for AS patients, which include how to use medications, physiotherapy, and other treatments. However, these recommendations can be hard to understand – in fact, it is possible that different doctors will interpret the recommendations in different ways. For researchers who want to study the effect of following recommended care, it is important to understand exactly what is recommended and how to tell if AS care is being given as directed. To help understand this, researchers brought together specialist doctors to talk about what the recommendations mean to them. The researchers then did an online survey to ask specialists what it means to follow AS care recommendations.

Who is involved?

Involvement

This study was led by a student researcher as part of a PhD thesis. A total of 7 researchers participated in the study.

Findings & Next Steps

The study discovered that specialist doctors have some differences of opinion about recommended AS care. Based on the feedback they received from the specialists, researchers developed a way to measure whether AS care is being given according to recommendations.

Related Publications

Harvard S, Gossec L, Pham T, Richette P, Dougados M, Anis A, Fautrel B. Measurable definitions of ankylosing spondylitis management recommendations are needed for use in observational studies. Joint Bone Spine. 2016 Jan;83(1):101-3.