Here are examples of the data points that should be collected to analyse the effectiveness of an axial SpA service in diagnosing the condition. These should be collected in addition to the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit and the NASS Time to Diagnosis patient survey.

Key metric – all patients referred for assessment Suggested data collection source
Number of new ?axSpA referrals per unit of time

 

Business intelligence unit
Capacity for reviewing new ?axSpA referrals per unit time (and per professional group)

 

Business intelligence unit
Time delay from new referral to 1st appointment

 

Business intelligence unit
Proportion of these referrals diagnosed with axSpA at 1st appointment (can divide by definite/probable/possible/not) Business intelligence unit +/- patient records review, cross-checked with diagnosed patients entered into NEIAA+/- NASS D2D audit
Proportion of new patients offered a follow-up appointment v discharge

 

Business intelligence unit
Proportion requiring advanced investigations (ie dedicated axSpA protocol MRI)

 

Business intelligence unit +/- patient records
Delay from request to MRI report (plus check with local MSK radiologist if needed)

 

Patient records
Proportion of MRIs requested being supportive of axSpA diagnosis (can group others by negative, indeterminate, alternative diagnosis found)

 

Patient records
Proportion of new ?axSpA referrals who fulfil NICE (+/- ASAS) spondyloarthritis referral criteria

 

Patient records