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