Adherence and Treat to Target Benchmarks in Older Adults with Gout Initiating Urate Lowering Therapy in Ontario, Canada: A Population-based Study.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate urate lowering therapy (ULT) adherence and treatment-to-target (T2T) serum uric acid (SUA) levels amongst older adults with gout starting ULT. METHODS: We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada in patients with gout aged ≥66 years newly dispensed ULT between 2010 and 2019. We defined successful T2T as patients having SUA levels <360 µmol/L (6 mg/dL) within 12-months after ULT dispensation. We also assessed adherence to ULT. Multi-level logistic regression clustered by ULT prescriber evaluated patient, physician and prescription factors associated with reaching target SUA levels. RESULTS: Among 44,438 patients (mean (SD) age 76.0±7.3 years; 64.4% male), 30,057 (67.6%) patients had ≥1 SUA test completed. Overall, 52.3% patients reached SUA target within 12-months, improving from 45.2% in 2010 to 61.2% in 2019 (p < 0.0001). ULT adherence was 55.3% overall and improved annually. Key factors associated with achieving T2T included febuxostat use (OR 11.40, 95% CI 5.10-25.43) (was only dispensed in 88 patients), ULT adherence (OR 5.17, 95% CI 4.89-5.47) allopurinol starting doses >50 mg (OR 2.53, 95% CI: 2.14-2.99), colchicine/oral corticosteroids co-prescription (OR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.14-1.34) and ULT prescription from a rheumatologist. CONCLUSIONS: Only 52.3% of patients achieved an optimal SUA level within 1 year of ULT initiation. ULT adherence was suboptimal though improving over time. ULT adherence and higher allopurinol starting doses had the strongest associations of achieving a target SUA level. This study highlights room for improvement in gout management and potential strategies to address care gaps.

Sex-Related Differences in Dispensation of Rheumatic Medications in Older Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to compare dispensation of rheumatic medications between older male and female patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed using health administrative data from Ontario, Canada (years 2010-2017), on patients with incident RA and PsA, who were aged ≥ 66 years at the time of diagnosis. Yearly dispensation of rheumatic drugs was compared between older male and female patients for 3 years after diagnosis using multivariable regression models, after adjusting for confounders. The groups of drugs included in the analysis were disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) classified as conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) and advanced therapy (biologic DMARDs and targeted synthetic DMARDs), nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids, and oral corticosteroids. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs. RESULTS: We analyzed 13,613 patients (64% female) with RA and 1116 patients (57% female) with PsA. Female patients with RA were more likely to receive opioids (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22-1.58 to OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.32-1.72) and NSAIDs (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.25 to OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04-1.30). Dispensation of DMARDs showed no sex difference in either group. Subgroup analyses showed more intense use of advanced therapy in the RA cohort and of csDMARDs in the PsA cohort when patient and physician sex was concordant. CONCLUSION: This study did not identify any sex difference in the use of DMARDs among older patients with RA and PsA. The reasons for the higher use of opioids and NSAIDs among female patients with RA warrant further research.

Association between immigration status and total knee arthroplasty outcomes in Ontario, Canada: a population-based matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants and refugees face unique challenges navigating the health care system to manage severe arthritis, because of unfamiliarity, lack of awareness of surgical options, or access. The purpose of this study was to assess total knee arthroplasty (TKA) uptake, surgical outcomes, and hospital utilization among immigrants and refugees compared with Canadian-born patients. METHODS: We included all adults undergoing primary TKA from January 2011 to December 2020 in Ontario. Cohorts were defined as Canadian-born or immigrants and refugees. We assessed change in yearly TKA utilization for trend. We compared differences in 1-year revision, infection rates, 30-day venous thromboembolism (VTE), presentation to emergency department, and hospital readmission between matched Canadian-born and immigrant and refugee groups. RESULTS: We included 158 031 TKA procedures. A total of 11 973 (7.6%) patients were in the immigrant and refugee group, and 146 058 (92.4%) patients were in the Canadian-born group. The proportion of TKAs in Ontario performed among immigrants and refugees nearly doubled over the 10-year study period (p < 0.001). After matching, immigrants were at relatively lower risk of 1-year revision (0.9% v. 1.6%, p < 0.001), infection (p < 0.001), death (p = 0.004), and surgical complications (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in rates of 30-day VTE or length of hospital stay. Immigrants were more likely to be discharged to rehabilitation (p < 0.001) and less likely to present to the emergency department (p < 0.001) than Canadian-born patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with Canadian-born patients, immigrants and refugees have favourable surgical outcomes and similar rates of resource utilization after TKA. We observed an underutilization of these procedures in Ontario relative to their proportion of the population. This may reflect differences in perceptions of chronic pain or barriers accessing arthroplasty.

COVID-19 vaccination safety and associated health care utilization among adults with inflammatory bowel disease - a population-based self-controlled case series analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is an incomplete understanding of the full safety profiles of repeated COVID-19 vaccinations in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Among individuals with IBD, we assessed whether COVID-19 vaccines were associated with serious adverse events of special interest (AESI) and health care utilization [all-cause hospitalizations, Emergency Department (ED) visits, gastroenterology visits, IBD-related visits]. METHODS: Using comprehensive administrative health data from Ontario, Canada, adults with IBD who received at least one COVID-19 vaccine from December 2020-January 2022 were included. Self-controlled case series analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative incidence rates of AESI and health care utilization outcomes across post-vaccination risk and control periods. RESULTS: Among 88,407 IBD patients, 99.7% received mRNA vaccines and 75.9% received ≥ 3 doses. Relative to control periods, we did not detect an increase in AESI. IBD patients had fewer all-cause hospitalizations during post-vaccination risk periods. Patients experienced more all-cause ED visits after dose 2 [Relative Incidence (RI):1.08(95%CI:1.04-1.12)] but fewer visits after doses 3 [RI:0.85 (95%CI:0.81-0.90)] and 4 [RI:0.73 (95%CI:0.57-0.92)]. There was no increase in gastroenterologist visits or IBD-related health care utilization post-vaccination. There were fewer IBD-related hospitalizations after dose 1 [RI:0.84 (95%CI:0.72-0.98)] and 3 [RI:0.63 (95%CI:0.52-0.76)], fewer IBD-related ED visits after dose 3 [RI:0.81 (95%CI:0.71-0.91)] and 4 [RI:0.55 (95%CI:0.32-0.96)], and fewer outpatient visits after dose 2 [RI:0.91 (95%CI:0.90-0.93)] and 3 [RI:0.87 (95%CI:0.86-0.89)]. CONCLUSION: This population-based study did not detect increased AESI, all-cause or IBD-related health care utilization following COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting a lack of association between vaccination and increased disease activity.

Phase-Specific Healthcare Costs Associated With Giant Cell Arteritis in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the additional healthcare system costs associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA) in the 1-year prediagnosis and postdiagnosis periods and over long-term follow-up compared to individuals with similar demographics and comorbidities without GCA. METHODS: We performed a population-based study using health administrative data. Newly diagnosed cases of GCA (between 2002 and 2017 and aged ≥ 66 years) were identified using a validated algorithm and matched 1:6 to comparators using propensity scores. Follow-up data were accrued until death, outmigration, or March 31, 2020. The costs associated with care were determined across 3 phases: the year before the diagnosis of GCA, the year after, and ongoing costs thereafter in 2021 Canadian dollars (CAD). RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 6730 cases of GCA and 40,380 matched non-GCA comparators. The average age was 77 (IQR 72-82) years and 68.2% were female. A diagnosis of GCA was associated with an increased cost of CAD $6619.4 (95% CI 5964.9-7274.0) per patient during the 1-year prediagnostic period, $12,150.3 (95% CI 11,233.1-13,067.6) per patient in the 1-year postdiagnostic phase, and $20,886.2 (95% CI 17,195.2-24,577.2) per patient during ongoing care for year 3 onward. Increased costs were driven by inpatient hospitalizations, physician services, hospital outpatient clinic services, and emergency department visits. CONCLUSION: A diagnosis of GCA was associated with increased healthcare costs during all 3 phases of care. Given the substantial economic burden, strategies to reduce the healthcare utilization and costs associated with GCA are warranted.

Early versus late onset interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis: An observational study of risk factors and mortality in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) can occur as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at various times in the disease course. We aimed to identify factors associated with early versus late onset RA-ILD and how the timing of RA-ILD influenced surgical lung biopsy completion and mortality. METHODS: We performed a retrospective observational study using health services data from Ontario, Canada. We identified RA cases between 2000 and 2020 using the Ontario Rheumatoid Arthritis Database. RA-ILD diagnosis required repeat physician visits for ILD, with early RA-ILD defined as within 1 year of RA diagnosis. We performed multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with early RA-ILD and surgical lung biopsy completion, and multivariable cox-proportional hazards regression to evaluate the association of early versus late RA-ILD on all-cause and RA-ILD related mortality. RESULTS: In total, we identified 3717 cases of RA-ILD. Older age at RA diagnosis [OR 1.04 (95%CI 1.03-1.05), p < 0.0001], female sex [OR 1.16 (95%CI 1.01-1.35), p = 0.04] and immigrating to Ontario [OR 1.70 (95%CI 1.35-2.14), p < 0.0001] was associated with early RA-ILD. Patients with early versus late RA-ILD experienced similar odds of undergoing a surgical lung biopsy [OR 1.34 (95%CI 0.83-2.16), p = 0.23]. Early RA-ILD was associated with increased all-cause mortality [HR 1.17 (95%CI 1.07-1.29), p = 0.0009], primarily driven by an increase in RA-ILD related mortality [HR 1.45 (95%CI 1.19-1.76), p = 0.0003]. CONCLUSION: Age at RA onset, female sex and immigration status are associated with early RA-ILD. Patients with early RA-ILD experience increased all-cause and RA-ILD related mortality after adjusting for demographics and comorbidities.

Low Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Use Among Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Signal of Concern.

Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be at increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes.1 Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir has been shown to reduce the risk for hospitalization and death among patients with COVID-19 at risk for progression to severe disease.2.

Safety and Health Care Use Following COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Self-Controlled Case Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines were associated with adverse events of special interest (AESIs) and healthcare use among adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Among adults with RA who received at least 1 COVID-19 vaccine, a self-controlled case series (SCCS) analysis was conducted to evaluate relative incidence (RI) rates of AESIs (Bell palsy, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, pericarditis/myocarditis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, transverse myelitis, myocardial infarction, anaphylaxis, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, narcolepsy, appendicitis, and disseminated intravascular coagulation) in any 21-day period following vaccination compared to control periods. Secondary outcomes included emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and rheumatology visits. A matched non-RA comparator group was created and a separate SCCS analysis was conducted. RI ratios (RIRs) were used to compare RA and non-RA groups. RESULTS: Among 123,466 patients with RA and 493,864 comparators, the majority received mRNA vaccines. For patients with RA, relative to control periods, AESIs were not increased. ED visits increased after dose 2 (RI 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.10) and decreased after dose 3 (RI 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.96). Hospitalizations were lower after the first (RI 0.83, 95% CI 0.78-0.88), second (RI 0.86, 95% CI 0.81-0.92), and third (RI 0.89, 95% CI 0.83-0.95) doses. Rheumatology visits increased after dose 1 (RI 1.08, 95% CI 1.07-1.10), and decreased after doses 2 and 3. Relative to comparators, patients with RA had a higher AESI risk after dose 3 (RIR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05-1.56). Patients with RA experienced fewer ED visits (RIR 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.90) and hospitalizations (RIR 0.52, 95% CI 0.36-0.75) after dose 4. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccines in patients with RA were not associated with an increase in AESI risk or healthcare use after every dose.

Venous Thromboembolism After COVID-19 Infection Among People With and Without Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases.

Importance: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) and COVID-19 are independently associated with venous thromboembolisms (VTEs). Objective: To determine if individuals with IMIDs are at higher risk of VTE following COVID-19 infection compared with individuals without IMIDs. Design, Setting, and Participants: Population-based matched cohort study using multiple deterministically linked health administrative databases from Ontario, Canada, and including patients testing positive for COVID-19 between January 1, 2020, and December 30, 2021, and followed up until March 31, 2022. Individuals with IMIDs (n = 28 440) who tested positive for COVID-19 were matched with up to 5 individuals without an IMID (n = 126 437) who tested positive for COVID-19. Matching was based on year of birth, sex, neighborhood income, and rural/urban residence. Data analysis was performed from August 6, 2022, to August 21, 2023. Exposure: Diagnosis of an IMID, identified using algorithms based on diagnostic codes, procedures, and specialist visits. Main Outcome and Measure: The main outcome was estimated age- and sex-standardized incidence of VTE. Proportional cause-specific hazard models compared the risk of VTE in people with and without IMIDs. Death was a competing risk. Models adjusted for history of VTE, 2 or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine 14 or more days prior to COVID-19 diagnosis, and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Routinely collected health data were used, so the hypothesis tested was formulated after data collection but prior to being granted access to data. Results: The study included 28 440 individuals (16 741 [58.9%] female; 11 699 [41.1%] male) with an IMID diagnosed prior to first COVID-19 diagnosis, with a mean (SD) age of 52.1 (18.8) years at COVID-19 diagnosis. These individuals were matched to 126 437 controls without IMIDs. The incidence of VTE within 6 months of COVID-19 diagnosis among 28 440 individuals with an IMID was 2.64 (95% CI, 2.23-3.10) per 100 000 person-days compared with 2.18 (95% CI, 1.99-2.38) per 100 000 person-days among 126 437 matched individuals without IMIDs. The VTE risk was not statistically significantly different among those with vs without IMIDs (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.95-1.32). Conclusions and Relevance: In this retrospective population-based cohort study of individuals with IMIDs following COVID-19, individuals with IMIDs did not have a higher risk of VTE compared with individuals without an IMID. These data provide reassurance to clinicians caring for individuals with IMIDs and COVID-19.

An Overview of Reviews to Inform Organization-Level Interventions to Address Burnout in Rheumatologists.

OBJECTIVE: To identify organization-directed strategies that could be implemented to prevent burnout among rheumatologists. METHODS: A search of English language articles published 2011 or later was conducted on Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, Medline, and PsycInfo on January 25, 2022. Included reviews had ≥ 1 primary studies with ≥ 10% of participants who were physicians, recorded burnout as an outcome, and described an organization-directed intervention to prevent burnout. Overlap of primary studies across reviews was assessed. The final review inclusion was determined by study quality, minimization of overlap, and maximization of intervention breadth. The A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2 tool was used for quality assessment. Included studies and interventions were assessed by rheumatologists for their applicability to rheumatology. RESULTS: A total of 17 reviews, including 15 systematic reviews, 1 realist review, and 1 umbrella review were included. AMSTAR 2 quality ratings classified 5 systematic reviews as low quality, 1 as moderate, and 9 as critically low. There was significant heterogeneity between and within reviews. Six conducted a metaanalysis and 11 provided a qualitative summary of findings. The following intervention types were identified as having possible applicability to rheumatology: physician workflow and organizational strategies; peer support and formal communication training; leadership support; and addressing stress, mental health, and mindfulness. Across interventions, mindfulness had the highest quality of evidence to support its effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Although the quality of evidence for interventions to prevent burnout in physicians is low, promising strategies such as mindfulness have been identified.

Derivation of a Multivariable Psoriatic Arthritis Risk Estimation Tool (PRESTO): A Step Towards Prevention.

OBJECTIVE: A simple, scalable tool that identifies psoriasis patients at high risk for developing psoriatic arthritis (PsA) could improve early diagnosis. We aimed to develop a risk prediction model for the development of PsA and to assess its performance among patients with psoriasis. METHODS: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort of psoriasis patients without PsA at enrollment. Participants were assessed annually by a rheumatologist for the development of PsA. Information about their demographics, psoriasis characteristics, comorbidities, medications, and musculoskeletal symptoms was used to develop prediction models for PsA. Penalized binary regression models were used for variable selection while adjusting for psoriasis duration. Risks of developing PsA over 1- and 5-year time periods were estimated. Model performance was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) and calibration plots. RESULTS: Among 635 psoriasis patients, 51 and 71 developed PsA during the 1-year and 5-year follow-up periods, respectively. The risk of developing PsA within 1 year was associated with younger age, male sex, family history of psoriasis, back stiffness, nail pitting, joint stiffness, use of biologic medications, patient global health, and pain severity (AUC 72.3). The risk of developing PsA within 5 years was associated with morning stiffness, psoriatic nail lesion, psoriasis severity, fatigue, pain, and use of systemic nonbiologic medication or phototherapy (AUC 74.9). Calibration plots showed reasonable agreement between predicted and observed probabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The development of PsA within clinically meaningful time frames can be predicted with reasonable accuracy for psoriasis patients using readily available clinical variables.

Serum Urate Monitoring Among Older Adults With Gout: Initiating Urate-Lowering Therapy in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the proportion of, and factors associated with, older adults with gout receiving a serum urate (SUA) test after starting urate-lowering therapy (ULT). METHODS: We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada in patients ages ≥66 years with gout, newly dispensed ULT between 2010 and 2019. We characterized patients with SUA testing within 6 and 12 months after ULT dispensation. Multilevel logistic regression clustered by ULT prescriber evaluated the factors associated with SUA monitoring within 6 months. RESULTS: We included 44,438 patients with a mean ± SD age of 76.0 ± 7.3 years and 64.4% male. Family physicians prescribed 79.1% of all ULTs. SUA testing was lowest in 2010 (56.4% at 6 months) and rose over time to 71.3% in 2019 (P < 0.0001). Compared with rheumatologists, family physicians (odds ratio [OR] 0.26 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.23-0.29]), internists (OR 0.34 [95% CI 0.29-0.39]), nephrologists (OR 0.37 [95% CI 0.30-0.45]), and other specialties (OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.21-0.29]) were less likely to test SUA, as were male physicians (OR 0.87 [95% CI 0.83-0.91]). Patient factors associated with lower odds of SUA monitoring included rural residence (OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.77-0.86]), lower socioeconomic status (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.85-0.97]), and patient comorbidities. Chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coprescription of colchicine/oral corticosteroids (OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.23-1.40]) were correlated with increased SUA testing. CONCLUSION: SUA testing is suboptimal among older adults with gout initiating ULT but is improving over time. ULT prescriber, patient, and prescription characteristics were correlated with SUA testing.

Rheumatoid arthritis associated interstitial lung disease: Trends in epidemiology and mortality in Ontario from 2000 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology and mortality of rheumatoid arthritis related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) have not been described in Canada. Our aim was to describe recent trends in RA-ILD prevalence, incidence, and mortality in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: This was a retrospective population-based study using repeated cross-sections from 2000 to 2018. We estimated annual age- and sex-standardized rates for RA-ILD prevalence, incidence and mortality. RESULTS: Among 184,400 RA patients identified between 2000 and 2018, 5722 (3.1%) were diagnosed with RA-ILD. Most RA-ILD patients were women (63.9%) and ≥60 years old (76.9%) at the time of RA-ILD diagnosis. RA-ILD incidence rose from 1.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-2.0) to 3.3 (95% CI 3.0-3.6) per 1000 RA patients (204% relative increase, p < 0.0001) during this time. RA-ILD incidence increased in both sexes and all age groups over time. The cumulative prevalence of RA-ILD increased from 8.4 (95% CI 7.6-9.2) to 21.1 (95% CI 20.3-21.8) per 1000 RA patients (250% relative increase, p < 0.0001), increasing in both sexes and all age groups. All-cause and RA-ILD related mortality declined in patients with RA-ILD over time [55.1% relative reduction, (p < 0.0001) and 70.9% relative reduction, (p < 0.0001), respectively]. In RA-ILD patients, RA-ILD contributed to the cause of death in approximately 29% of cases. Men and older patients had higher all-cause and RA-ILD related mortality. CONCLUSION: In a large, diverse Canadian population, the incidence and prevalence of RA-ILD are increasing. RA-ILD related mortality is declining, but remains an important cause of death in this population.

Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases and multiple industrial air pollutant emissions: A large general population Canadian cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Past investigations of air pollution and systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) typically focused on individual (not mixed) and overall environmental emissions. We assessed mixtures of industrial emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) and SARDs onset in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: We assembled an open cohort of over 12 million adults (without SARD diagnoses at cohort entry) based on provincial health data for 2007-2020 and followed them until SARD onset, death, emigration, or end of study (December 2020). SARDs were identified using physician billing and hospitalization diagnostic codes for systemic lupus, scleroderma, myositis, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, and Sjogren's. Rheumatoid arthritis and vasculitis were not included. Average PM2.5, NO2, and SO2 industrial emissions from 2002 to one year before SARDs onset or end of study were assigned using residential postal codes. A quantile g-computation model for time to SARD onset was developed for the industrial emission mixture, adjusting for sex, age, income, rurality index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (as a proxy for smoking), background (environmental overall) PM2.5, and calendar year. We conducted stratified analyses across age, sex, and rurality. RESULTS: We identified 43,931 new SARD diagnoses across 143,799,564 person-years. The adjusted hazard ratio for SARD onset for an increase in all emissions by one decile was 1.018 (95% confidence interval 1.013-1.022). Similar positive associations between SARDs and the mixed emissions were observed in most stratified analyses. Industrial PM2.5 contributed most to SARD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Industrial air pollution emissions were associated with SARDs risk.

The Effects of Continuity of Rheumatology Care on Emergency Department Utilization and Hospitalizations for Individuals With Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if continuity of rheumatology care influences rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A closed inception cohort of patients with RA diagnosed between 2000 and 2009 were followed until December 31, 2019. During the first 5 years following diagnosis, we categorized patients into 3 rheumatology care continuity groups (high, intermediate, and not retained in rheumatology care). Using a landmark analysis, we compared rates of ED visits and hospitalizations during follow-up. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate rate ratios (RRs), adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and health services access and supply measures. RESULTS: The cohort included 38,528 patients, of which 57.7% (n = 22,221) were classified in the high rheumatology continuity group, 17.2% (n = 6636) were in the intermediate group, and 25.1% (n = 9671) were not retained in rheumatology care. Relative to the high continuity group, both the intermediate and nonretention groups had higher ED rates (RR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.20, and RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16, respectively). The intermediate group also experienced higher adjusted hospitalization rates (207.4, 95% CI 203.0-211.8 per 1000 person-years [PY]) than the high continuity group (193.5, 95% CI 191.4-195.6 per 1000 PY). CONCLUSION: Patients with RA with higher continuity of rheumatology care had lower rates of ED visits and hospitalizations compared to those who did not receive continuous rheumatology care during the first 5 years of follow-up. These findings provide evidence to support the value of early and continuous rheumatology care for reducing hospitalizations and ED visits.

Improving access to care for rheumatology services in Canada.

Rheumatic diseases are becoming increasingly prevalent in Canada, and its associated strain on the healthcare system is expected to increase over the next decades. Furthermore, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that access to rheumatology care is currently not meeting established quality of care benchmarks. To frame issues affecting access to care for rheumatology services in Canada, a proposed chronological framework from a rheumatology patient's perspective is proposed. Illustrating principles from a health policy lens including drawing from the stages heuristic framework and multiple streams theory, issues surrounding access to rheumatology assessment, to rheumatological investigations and lastly to appropriate treatment are explored. In particular, the current supply and demand mismatch within the rheumatology workforce presents challenges for patients in accessing rheumatic diseases providers. Potential policy solutions including increasing the pool of rheumatic diseases care providers, enhancing the clinical capacity with extended role providers and increasing uptake of virtual care are discussed. To ameliorate access to rheumatology investigations, the concept of provider education surrounding the appropriateness of investigations and merit-based funding are explored. Lastly, access to rheumatological treatment is framed using biologic therapies as an example, highlighting the policy challenges in biosimilar uptake and associated ethical and political considerations. By using a health policy lens to explore deficiencies within Canada's current system, the overarching goal of this analysis is to set the stage for reasoned and timely solutions in the future.

Investigating Associations Between Access to Rheumatology Care, Treatment, Continuous Care, and Healthcare Utilization and Costs Among Older Individuals With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between rheumatologist access, early treatment, and ongoing care of older-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthcare utilization and costs following diagnosis. METHODS: We analyzed data from a population-based inception cohort of individuals aged > 65 years with RA in Ontario, Canada, diagnosed between 2002 and 2014 with follow-up to 2019. We assessed 4 performance measures in the first 4 years following diagnosis, including access to rheumatology care, yearly follow-up, timely treatment, and ongoing treatment with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. We examined annual healthcare utilization, mean direct healthcare costs, and whether the performance measures were associated with costs in year 5. RESULTS: A total of 13,293 individuals met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 73.7 (SD 5.7) years and 68% were female. Total mean direct healthcare cost per individual increased annually and was CAD $13,929 in year 5. All 4 performance measures were met for 35% of individuals. In multivariable analyses, costs for not meeting access to rheumatology care and timely treatment performance measures were 20% (95% CI 8-32) and 6% (95% CI 1-12) higher, respectively, than where those measures were met. The main driver of cost savings among individuals meeting all 4 performance measures were from lower complex continuing care, home care, and long-term care costs, as well as fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits. CONCLUSION: Access to rheumatologists for RA diagnosis, timely treatment, and ongoing care are associated with lower total healthcare costs at 5 years. Investments in improving access to care may be associated with long-term health system savings.