Rheumatology Research Group, MRC Centre for Immune Regulation, Institute for Biomedical Research, School of Immunity and Infection, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Ann Rheum Dis. 2011 Oct;70(10):1822-5. doi: 10.1136/ard.2011.151902. Epub 2011 Aug 7.
The first 3 months after symptom onset represent an important therapeutic window for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigates the extent and causes of delay in assessment of patients with RA in eight European countries.
Data on the following levels of delay were collected from 10 centres (Berlin, Birmingham, Heraklion, Lund, Prague, Stockholm, Umeå, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich): (1) from onset of RA symptoms to request to see healthcare professional (HCP); (2) from request to see HCP to assessment by that HCP; (3) from initial assessment by HCP to referral to rheumatologist; and (4) from referral to rheumatologist to assessment by that rheumatologist.
Data were collected from 482 patients with RA. The median delay across the 10 centres from symptom onset to assessment by the rheumatologist was 24 weeks, with the percentage of patients seen within 12 weeks of symptom onset ranging from 8% to 42%. There were important differences in the levels underlying the total delays at individual centres.
This research highlights the contribution of patients, professionals and health systems to treatment delay for patients with RA in Europe. Although some centres have strengths in minimising certain types of delay, interventions are required in all centres to ensure timely treatment for patients.
症状出现后的头 3 个月是类风湿关节炎（RA）的重要治疗窗口。本研究调查了欧洲 8 个国家中 RA 患者评估延迟的程度和原因。
从 10 个中心（柏林、伯明翰、伊拉克利翁、隆德、布拉格、斯德哥尔摩、于默奥、维也纳、华沙和苏黎世）收集了以下几个级别的延迟数据：（1）从 RA 症状出现到向医疗保健专业人员（HCP）请求就诊；（2）从请求 HCP 就诊到该 HCP 评估；（3）从 HCP 的初步评估到转介到风湿病专家；以及（4）从转诊给风湿病专家到该专家评估。
共收集了 482 例 RA 患者的数据。10 个中心中从症状出现到风湿病专家评估的中位数延迟为 24 周，症状出现后 12 周内就诊的患者比例从 8%到 42%不等。在各个中心，导致总延迟的基础水平存在重要差异。
这项研究强调了患者、专业人员和卫生系统对欧洲 RA 患者治疗延迟的贡献。尽管一些中心在减少某些类型的延迟方面具有优势，但所有中心都需要采取干预措施，以确保患者得到及时治疗。
