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Selection of Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatism Requiring Management During the COVID-19 Pandemia

Completed
Conditions
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Covid19
Inflammatory Rheumatism
Spondyloarthritis
Inflammatory Arthritis
Registration Number
NCT04806867
Lead Sponsor
University Hospital, Limoges
Brief Summary

The project proposes to evaluate a strategy for prioritizing teleconsultation for patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemia. This selection will be done through telephone contact by medical students, supervised by residents and rheumatologists on a patient database. The other objectives are to assess the impact of the pandemia on the physical and mental health of patients classified as being at risk

Detailed Description

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of consultations and hospitalization of the majority of patients followed in the Rheumatology Department of the Limoges University Hospital.

The department therefore implemented a strategy for the management of patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatism (CIR) during this period, which allowed maintaining contact with patients in the patient database.

During this telephone call, an CIR-Covid19 questionnaire was fulfilled in order to prioritize patients requiring rapid management.

The strategy is based on the use of the available health reserve, i.e. volunteered medical students to provide patient management assistance. These students were trained with face-to-face learning in the rheumatology department given by residents on chronic inflammatory rheumatism to remind them of all the elements of diagnosis and management. They had an interview with a senior rheumatologist from the Department to present the questionnaire and its objectives , to give them advice regarding communication with patients, as well as information about the COVID-19 infection and recommendations of the French Rheumatology Society for CIR patients. The students were trained with quizzes on practical situations, with feedback on the answers.

The information's collected in the questionnaire were based on the patients' feelings. Telephone communication does not allow an assessment of disease activity according to validated criteria as it requires a clinical examination.

The opinion of the referring rheumatologist was requested by the patients or by the medical student at the end of the telephone call, depending on the information collected. At any time, the medical students could call upon to senior doctors from the department or residents in case of difficulties.

943 patients were thus contacted between 14/04/2020 and 28/04/2020. They were able to benefit from an optimized management according to the context of the COVID19 pandemic.

These questionnaires were analyze in order to assess the need for specialized follow-up during this period and to evaluate the impact of COVID19 on this population.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
918
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatism who answered the RIC-COVID19 survey during the telephone call set up by the Rheumatology Department of the Limoges University Hospital during the confinement.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients objecting to the use of their data

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Proportion of patients requiring an advice from the referring rheumatologist following the telephone survey.2 months

Number of request for advice from the referring Rheumatologist by the student and/or the patient

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Evaluate the association between rheumatologist advice asked by student and/or patient and the factors studied2 months

Request for an advice from the referring rheumatologist by the student and/or the patient and the factors studied.

Factors studied:

Sex, age, department of residence, RA or AS COVID-19 symptoms, increase in CIR activity, increase in pain, discontinuation of treatment, increase in stress and anxiety, increase in depression, increase in fatigue, increase in sleep disorders, fear of coming to consultation or hospitalization, adaptability with their rheumatic disease, medical loneliness.

Proportion of patients informed about COVID-192 months

Evaluate the proportion of patients having received medical information about the Covid-19 pandemic.

Evaluate the association between rheumatologist advice asked by patient and the factors studied2 months

request for an advice from the referring rheumatologist by the patient and the factors studied.

COVID-19 infection evaluation in the monitored patient population2 months

Evaluate the proportion of COVID-19 infection in patients monitored in the Rheumatology department at Limoges University Hospital Proportion of COVID-19 serological tests performed and their positivity in this patient population.

Evaluate the association between pain increase perceived by patients and the factors studied2 months

Percentage increase in pain perceived by patients during the epidemic and factors studied, evaluated by numerical scale during the phone call 0% to 100% (0% represente no pain, and 100% maximal pain)

Evaluate the association between the increase in rheumatic activity perceived by patients and the factors studied2 months

Evaluate the association between the increase in rheumatic activity perceived by patients and the factors studied using numerical scale of satisfaction following this call from patients and students (0-10) 0: unsatisfied, 10 : fully satisfied

Evaluate the association between rheumatologist advice asked by student and the factors studied2 months

request for an advice from the referring rheumatologist by the student and the factors studied

To evaluate the satisfaction of the telephone call with patients and students. Time Frame: phone call day2 months

Numerical scale of satisfaction following this call from patients and students (0-10) 0: unsatisfied, 10 : fully satisfied

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Service de Rhumatologie, CHu de Limoges

🇫🇷

Limoges, France

Service de Rhumatologie, CHu de Limoges
🇫🇷Limoges, France

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