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The following is a summary of “Effect of online training on the reliability of assessing sacroiliac joint radiographs in axial spondyloarthritis – a randomized, controlled study,” published in the September 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Hadsbjerg et al.
Assessing sacroiliac joints (SIJs) using modified New York (mNY) criteria is essential for classifying axSpA but often has only moderate agreement between readers.
Researchers conducted a prospective study investigating whether an online real-time calibration (RETIC) module improves the reliability of scoring SIJ radiographs compared to just using slideshows and videos.
They had 19 readers split into two groups (A/B) to complete three calibration steps: reviewing manuscripts, reviewing slideshows and videos, with Group A using RETIC, re-reviewing slideshows/videos, with Group B using RETIC. RETIC provided instant feedback until reliability targets were met and agreement with an expert was measured.
The results showed that in exercises I, II, and III, kappa values for mNY were 0.61, 0.76, 0.84 in Group A and 0.70, 0.68, and 0.86 in Group B, showing improvement, mainly after using RETIC. The RETIC plus slideshow/video significantly increased kappa by 0.17 (CI: 0.07 to 0.27, P=0.002) for mNY grading, while slideshow/video alone showed no significant change (0.0; CI: -0.10 to 0.10, P=0.99).
Investigators concluded that adding the online RETIC module significantly improved agreement on mNY radiograph scoring, whereas using just slideshows and videos did not lead to significant improvements.
Source: jrheum.org/content/early/2024/09/11/jrheum.2024-0075
