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The following is a summary of “Disparities in time to diagnosis of Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis,” published in the November 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Ferrandiz-Espadin et al.
Radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) faces a 7-year diagnostic delay, with limited research on how social determinants impact this timeline.
Researchers conducted a prospective study to analyze whether diagnostic delay in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) varies by sex, race, ethnicity, or social needs.
Researchers studied patients with r-axSpA from a tertiary center (2000–2022), using the OHDSI network. Primary analysis evaluated time from back pain to r-axSpA diagnosis; secondary analysis assessed time from other r-axSpA-related conditions. A parametric survival model with accelerated failure time estimated diagnostic delay differences.
The results showed that among 404 patients (mean age 49, 37% female), 25.5% identified as Black, 31.1% as other or unknown race, and 14.1% as Hispanic. Patients with social needs had a 21% longer delay from back pain to r-axSpA diagnosis (95% CI [0.93, 1.56]), with similar increases for other r-axSpA-related conditions (95% CI [0.92, 1.57]). Social needs added 7 months to the average 34-month diagnosis time.
The study concluded that diagnostic delays in r-axSpA were linked to social needs, sex, race, and ethnicity. Future research should address referral strategies to improve timely diagnosis and care.
Source: jrheum.org/content/early/2024/11/04/jrheum.2024-0574
