The following is a summary of “Screening and Referral Strategies for the Early Recognition of Psoriatic Arthritis Among Patients With Psoriasis: Results of a GRAPPA Survey,” published in the November 2023 issue of Rheumatology by Song et al.

Researchers performed a retrospective study to explore the early recognition of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and identify potential improvements to the shared-care model.

They constructed a 24-question survey on referral strategies, developed by the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) project steering committee, and distributed it to all members (n = 927). The survey investigated the use of screening tools, PsA occurrence in psoriasis patients, treatment decision-making, suggestions for early PsA recognition, and current gaps in care.

The results showed 149 respondents (16.1% response rate), comprising 113 rheumatologists from 37 countries and 26 dermatologists from 16 countries. Among dermatologists, 81% used PsA-specific screening instruments. Conversely, rheumatologists mentioned that only 26.8% of patients referred to them from all sources had undergone screening tools. Dermatologists reported a mean confirmation rate of 67% for suspected PsA cases, whereas rheumatologists reported a mean confirmation of 47.9%. Both specialties agreed on the optimal diagnostic process involving patient-reported (screening tools) and physician-confirmed findings. Educating primary care physicians (PCPs) and dermatologists is the top priority to improve PsA screening.

Investigators concluded that early recognition of psoriatic arthritis can be improved by better screening and education.

Source: jrheum.org/content/50/11/1439