title: Comparison of rates of referral and diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis before and after an ankylosing spondylitis public awareness campaign.
abstract: The objective of this research is to measure the effect of a national ankylosing spondylitis (AS) public awareness campaign on numbers of referrals for suspected AS and numbers of cases diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). A television advertising campaign was conducted by Arthritis New Zealand in 2011 to raise public awareness of AS. A retrospective analysis was made of referrals received by the three rheumatology services 3 months before the campaign started and 3 months after the campaign ended. The age, gender, number of referrals for suspected AS and number of referrals resulting in a diagnosis of axial SpA were recorded. Independent analysis showed that the awareness campaign reached 82 % of the primary target audience. In the 3 months after the awareness campaign, there was a significant increase in referrals for suspected AS compared with the 3 months before the campaign (54 vs. 88, 63 %, p = 0.0056). Referrals for other conditions did not change. The number of referrals resulting in a diagnosis of axial SpA also increased (27 vs. 44, 63 %, p = 0.0576). The mean ages of the patients referred and of those diagnosed with axial SpA did not change. The male/female ratio was 1:1 among the referrals for suspected AS and 2:1 in referrals diagnosed with axial SpA, before and after the campaign. The Arthritis New Zealand AS public awareness campaign was associated with a significant increase in referrals to rheumatology services for suspected AS and an increase in the diagnosis of axial SpA in clinics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand, andrew.harrison@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Christoffel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Badenhorst
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirby
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Josie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Athens
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stebbings
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D025241:Spondylarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult