What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to compare ethnic variations in the quality of care for rheumatoid arthritis patients based on NICE standards.

April 30, 2026

P100 Ethnic disparities in NICE rheumatoid arthritis quality standard 33 attainment: data from the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit

Puntos clave

The study aims to compare ethnic variations in the quality of care for rheumatoid arthritis patients based on NICE standards.
Compared QEHB patient data with national NEIAA data.
Analyzed referral and treatment adherence to NICE quality standards.
Categorized patient ethnicity into BAME and White groups.
24% of patients at QEHB were from BAME compared to 14% nationally.
79% of White patients at QEHB received timely referrals, versus 21% of BAME patients.
Nationally, 60% of BAME patients received timely treatment compared to 57% of White patients.

Resumen

Abstract Background/Aims Recent data from the BritishNational Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA) have highlighted ethnicvariations in the management of inflammatory arthritis, based on the NICE rheumatoidarthritis quality standard 33, which focuses on the prompt referral andtreatment of RA. This study aims to compare ethnic variations in the quality ofcare for patients with RA, as measured by adherence to the NICE RA quality standard33, for patients enrolled in the NEIAA. Specifically, we compared theperformance of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (QEHB) rheumatology serviceagainst national trends, on these two quality statements (QS):QS 1: referralto rheumatology within three working days of primary care presentation. QS2: initiation of conventional DMARDs within 6 weeks of referral. Methods The QEHB dataset comprised 262 patients enrolled into the NEIAA between April 2018 and March 2024. The national dataset included 35,807 patients enrolled to the NEIAA nationally between May 2018 and March 2020.Patient ethnicity was categorised as White, Black British/African/Caribbean, Asian/Asian British, Mixed, and Other ethnic groups. For data analysis, these groups were further consolidated into two categories: the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) group and the White group, to facilitate comparison between the groups. Results Two hundred sixty-two patients were enrolled to the NEIAA QEHB rheumatology service, compared to 35,807 patients across rheumatology services in the UK. Out of these, 24% and 14% of patients were from the BAME group at QEHB and nationally, respectively. Whilst patients from the White ethnic background were 76% at QEHB and 86% nationally.Overall, 79% (115/146) of the White group were referred to the QEHB rheumatology service within 3 working days of presentation (QS1), compared to 21% (31/146) of the patients from the BAME group. In contrast, 43% (12,561/29,417) of White patients were referred to rheumatology services within three working days nationally, while 47% (2,333/4,964) of BAME patients received referrals within this time frame.At QEHB, a lower proportion of patients from the BAME group, 26.5% (27/102) received treatment within 3 weeks, compared to 73.5% (75/102) of the White group. However, at the national level the opposite trend was observed; 60% (723/1,204) of patients from the BAME group received timely treatment, compared to 57% (4,919/8,695) of White patients, according to QS2. Conclusion Comparing QEHB data with national data highlights ethnic healthcare disparities, especially given Birmingham’s diverse population. In conclusion, these findings provide valuable insights into ethnic variations in RA care; however, further research is necessary to investigate the underlying causes of these disparities. Addressing these factors is essential to ensuring fair and equitable care for all ethnic groups. Disclosure Z. Shahnawaz: None. N. Nooh: None. A. Budhwani: None. R. Turkawi: None. A. Filer: None. E. Justice: None. B. Rhodes: None. H. Merris: None. I. Sahbudin: None.

Me gusta

Guardar