RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Delayed referral of female patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 2190
OP 2192
VO 28
IS 10
A1 L R Lard
A1 T W Huizinga
A1 J M Hazes
A1 T P Vlieland
YR 2001
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/28/10/2190.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether sex differences in referral exist in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: At the Department of Rheumatology of the Leiden University Medical Center, a special early arthritis clinic (EAC) was established. General practitioners (GPs) were encouraged to refer patients with joint complaints to the EAC. Subsequently, the diagnosis RA was made by a rheumatologist. RESULTS: In this report, 142 women and 82 men were included. The delays in patient's first encounter with a GP for both sexes were comparable. However, a significant difference in the GP's delay in referring female patients with RA to the EAC in comparison with male patients was observed (median of 93 days vs 58 days; p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: This report determined GP referral delay of female patients to a rheumatologist. GPs should be made aware that early detection and early referral of patients with RA are crucial for early treatment.