title: Comprehensive arthritis referral study -- phase 2: analysis of the comprehensive arthritis referral tool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Rheumatologists triage referrals to assess those patients who may benefit from early intervention. We describe a referral tool and formally evaluate its sensitivity for urgent and early inflammatory arthritis (EIA) referrals.
  
  
  METHODS
  All referrals received on a standardized referral tool were reviewed by a rheumatologist and, based on the information conferred, assigned a triage grade using a previously described triage system. Each referral was also dichotomized as suspected EIA or not. After the initial rheumatologic assessment, the diagnosis was recorded and a consultation grade, blinded to referral grade, was assigned to each case. Agreement between referral and consultation grades was assessed. A regression analysis was performed to determine factors that predicted truly urgent referrals including EIA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 696 referrals. A total of 210 (30.2%) were categorized as urgent at the time of consultation. The referral tool was able to successfully detect 169 of these referrals (sensitivity 80.5%, specificity 79.4%). EIA occurred in 95 (13.6%); of those referrals, 86 were correctly classified as urgent at the time of triage (sensitivity 90.5%, specificity 69.6%). Items that helped correctly discriminate urgent or EIA referrals included patient age < 60, duration of disease, morning stiffness, patient-reported joint swelling, a personal or family history of psoriasis, urgency as rated by referring physician, prior assessment by a rheumatologist, elevated C-reactive protein, and a positive rheumatoid factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A 1-page referral tool that includes parts completed by the referring physician and patient has good sensitivity to detect urgent referrals including EIA.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University. andy.thompson@rogers.com.
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University.
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Haig
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University.
authors.forename: Nicole G H
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: LeRiche
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University.
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rohekar
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University.
authors.forename: Sherry
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rohekar
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.A.E. Thompson, BSc, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Medicine; N.G.H. LeRiche, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine; G. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; S. Rohekar, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine; J. Pope, MD, Professor of Medicine, Western University, Rheumatology Centre, St. Joseph's Hospital; S.L. Haig, MD, Resident in Internal Medicine, Western University.
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Pope
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012219:Rheumatology; D013997:Time Factors; D014218:Triage
keywords: ARTHRITIS; EARLY INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS; REFERRAL; TRIAGE