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.