Improving the Diagnosis and Early referral of patients with AxiaL spondyloarthiritis (IDEAL)
Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a debilitating inflammatory and rheumatic condition affecting the spine, often taking 5-8 years to be diagnosed. The IDEAL project aims to significantly reduce this diagnostic delay, ensuring patients receive timely and effective treatment.
The IDEAL team is developing a novel referral strategy. This strategy will be rigorously tested against existing methods to determine its effectiveness in identifying axSpA in primary care settings and reduce diagnostic delays.
Early diagnosis and treatment of axSpA can prevent severe complications, improve patient quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs. The IDEAL project has the potential to transform the management of axSpA, leading to better health outcomes for patients. By implementing an effective referral strategy in primary care, the project will reduce healthcare costs. Our Patient and Public Involvement group and Community of Practice (including healthcare professionals) are optimistic about the potential impact of this research. They believe that the new referral strategy will revolutionise the diagnosis and management of axSpA, making early detection and intervention more achievable.
Funding
This innovative project is funded by the NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research, jointly led with the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit and Keele University with a total grant amount of around £2.5 million.
Team
