Understanding How Quality of Care Affects Rheumatoid Arthritis Outcomes
Scientific Study Title:
Understanding the effect of adherence to system-level performance measures on outcomes for rheumatoid arthritis
Study Start Date:
April 2020
End Date:
March 2023
Why Do This Research?
One in a hundred Canadians lives with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and suffers daily joint swelling, stiffness and pain. RA causes disability and sometimes can lead to joint replacement surgery if not properly treated. Joint inflammation in RA also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. These complications of chronic inflammation contribute to substantial disability, increased healthcare costs and premature deaths. Studies show early and appropriate treatment of RA improve patient pain, function, disability, and survival.
The Arthritis Alliance of Canada (AAC) developed a national set of performance indicators to measure whether patients with RA are getting timely care and treated appropriately. Testing of these measures across Canada identified gaps in care including long waiting times for rheumatology consultations, lower than expected rates of treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (the standard of care), and inconsistent follow-up care. It is unknown why these gaps occur and what they mean for patients and the healthcare system.
What Will Be Done?
In this study we will use administrative data from 3 Canadian provinces, Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario to investigate how quality of care, as measured by the AAC performance measures, affects patient outcomes and the healthcare system.
Who Is Involved?
The team includes practicing rheumatologists, and experts in quality of care research, health economics, and statistics.
Research Team
Principal Investigators:
Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
Diane Lacaille, MDCM, MHSc, FRCPC, Scientific Director, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Jessica Widdifield, BSc, PhD, Principal Investigator, Assistant professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, (University of Toronto)
Co-Investigators:
Michal Abrahamowicz, PhD, Research Scientist, Biostatistics, Arthritis Research Canada (McGill University)
J. Antonio Avina-Zubieta, MD, MSc, PhD, FRCPC, Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Cheryl Barnabe, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Senior Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
John Esdaile, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FCAHS, MACR, Scientific Director Emeritus, Arthritis Research Canada (University of British Columbia)
Peter Faris PhD (University of Calgary)
Glen Hazlewood, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Rheumatology, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)
Steven Katz, PhD (University of Alberta)
Paul MacMullan MD (University of Calgary)
Deborah A. Marshall, PhD, Senior Scientist, Health Services Research and Health Economics, Arthritis Research Canada(University of Calgary)
Dianne Mosher MD (University of Calgary)
Hui Xie, BSc, MS, PhD, Research Scientist, Biostatistics, Arthritis Research Canada (Simon Fraser University)
Research Staff:
Nicole Spencer, MSc (University of Calgary)
Funding Agency:
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
