Outcomes of Early Psoriatic Arthritis in a UK nation-wide cohort

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Outcomes of Early Psoriatic Arthritis in a UK nation-wide cohort

  • IRAS ID

    293790

  • Contact name

    William Tillett

  • Contact email

    w.tillett@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal United Hospitals NHS FT

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 11 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthritis, affecting up to 30% of patients with psoriasis. PsA results in impaired physical function, reduced quality of life and work disability. There is evidence that a delay in diagnosis and/or treatment results in irreversible joint damage, worse physical function and quality of life. Data from the 2016 British Society for Rheumatology National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) has shown that PsA patients have a longer time to diagnosis than those with rheumatoid arthritis, are less likely to receive combination drug treatment at baseline and have increased disease burden at three months.

    The 2018 NEIAA aims to improve the quality of care for people living with inflammatory arthritis by assessing the performance of rheumatology departments across England and Wales. All patients diagnosed with early inflammatory arthritis are identified during the audit and then only those with polyarticular disease (affecting ≥5 joints) provide follow-up data.

    PsA is a highly variable condition and polyarticular disease is thought to affect only around 60% of patients. Therefore, a significant limitation of the audit only following up patients with polyarticular disease is that only one subtype of PsA disease will be captured.

    In addition to analysing the routinely collected NEIAA data, we propose undertaking a follow-up web survey for all patients diagnosed with PsA during the audit, to provide a more complete picture for PsA specific outcomes. The NEIAA has consent to follow-up and approach patients in the audit with polyarticular PsA but not those with any other type of PsA. We are therefore seeking ethical approval to approach all patients who were identified as having PsA to complete a short web survey of PsA specific outcomes, to better understand the impact of delay to diagnosis and treatment. This study is funded by an unrestricted grant from Janssen.

  • REC name

    London - South East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/PR/0506

  • Date of REC Opinion

    6 Jul 2022

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion