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The following is a summary of “Potentially Avoidable Emergency Department Utilization by Persons With Psoriatic Arthritis and Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: A Population-Based Cohort Study,” published in the March 2025 issue of Journal of Rheumatology by Mocanu et al. 

Better ambulatory access may reduce low-acuity emergency department (ED) visits. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study on ED use in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) within a universal healthcare system. They analyzed utilization patterns to identify gaps in ambulatory care access. 

They analyzed linked population-based administrative data from Alberta, Canada (2007/2008–2017/2018) to assess yearly ED visits, timing, triage acuity, diagnoses, and disposition for persons with PsA and r-axSpA. 

The results showed 4,984 patients with PsA and 14,690 with r-axSpA had 53,174 and 124,037 ED visits, respectively. Annually, 47.6% with PsA and 35.7% with r-axSpA visited the ED. Low-acuity visits were common (44.2% PsA, 50.3% r-axSpA). Infection and injury were the most frequent diagnoses, while inflammatory arthritis was rare (1.2% PsA, 2% r-axSpA). Rural patients had nearly twice the mean visits, more low-acuity cases, and fewer admissions. Sex differences affected visit timing, and females with PsA had lower admission rates than males. 

Investigators found frequent ED use for less urgent cases in PsA and r-axSpA, especially in rural areas. They suggested these findings could guide tailored healthcare access solutions. 

Source: jrheum.org/content/52/3/243