Allied Health in Rheumatology Triage Project

There is accumulating evidence that early treatment leads to better outcomes for patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). Triage, which is the process of identifying the urgency of a patient's disease state efficiently and correctly, may facilitate early referral to a rheumatologist. Several studies have suggested that placing allied health professionals (occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, etc.) in a triage roll may reduce wait time for patients with suspected IA. The goal of this investigation will be to demonstrate the system-level impact of an Arthritis Society extended role occupational therapist (OT) or physical therapist (PT) working in a triage role in improving access to rheumatologists for people with IA. In this study two groups will be observed: intervention and "usual care" as determined by historical chart review. Wait times will be compared between both groups.

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Key information

Conditions

Inflammatory Arthritis Ankylosis Arthritis Arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Rheumatoid Autoimmune Diseases Axial Spondyloarthritis Bone Diseases Connective Tissue Diseases Immune System Diseases Joint Diseases Musculoskeletal Diseases Psoriasis Rheumatic Diseases Skin Diseases Skin Diseases, Papulosquamous Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Spinal Diseases Spondylarthritis Spondylarthropathies Spondylitis Spondylitis, Ankylosing

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

New referrals from a GP
Adults with possible IA (determined by rheumatologist through paper triage)

Exclusion criteria

Currently on a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)
Previously seen by a rheumatologist.
FM, non-IA OA; soft tissue rheumatism; mechanical LBP

Treatment and study plan

Therapist Triage

Other

An extended role occupational or physical therapist will triage each subject in the study to determine the urgency of their case and how soon they need to see the rheumatologist.

Primary outcomes

Time to first visit with the rheumatologist (wait time)

Time frame: 3 months

Secondary outcomes

Time to diagnosis

Time frame: 3 months
Time to treatment (disease-modifying antirheumatic drug)

Time frame: 3 months

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Other

Collaborators

Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative
Ontario Rheumatology Association
The Arthritis Society, Canada

Registry information

Acronym: AHRT

Important dates

Study start: 2015
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: Jun 9, 2015
Registry last updated: Jun 30, 2016

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed