Use of the Emergency Department by Persons with Inflammatory Arthritis Conditions

Scientific Study Title:

Acute Care Use by Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis Conditions: Health System Impact and Solutions for Ensuring Appropriate Ambulatory Care Access

Study Start Date:

March 2022

End Date:

February 2023

Why Do This Research?

We are doing this research to find out why people with long-term inflammatory arthritis (IA) go to the emergency department when they need more care. There are certainly symptoms or conditions where it is absolutely appropriate to go to the emergency department, such as for a heart attack or broken bone. However, sometimes people go to the emergency department because they aren’t able to get an appointment with their family doctor or rheumatologist for a non-emergency concern in a timely manner.

What Will We Do?

1. We will look at Alberta healthcare data of persons with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis, (AS), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and gout to see how often they use Emergency Care and Urgent Care, and why. We will use the information we find and compare it to what we learn from talking directly to patients in Step 2.
2. We will interview patients with inflammatory arthritis and hold focus groups with them to learn about their experiences getting care in Emergency or Urgent Care departments.
3. Using the information from Steps 1 and 2 above, our team of scientists and patient partners will work with other experts to suggest changes in patient care to help patients with IA see their family doctor or rheumatologist as appropriate and avoid the emergency department. It will be better for them and the healthcare system.

How do people get involved?

N/A

Research Team

Principal Investigator:

Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, Rheumatology, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Senior Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)

Co-Investigators: 

Claire Barber, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Research Scientist, Arthritis Research Canada (University of Calgary)

Steven Katz

Meghan Elliot

Brian Holroyd

Joanne Homik

Stephanie Keeling

Eddy Lang

Katie Lin

Nadia Luca

Patrick McLane

Funding Agency:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research