The 19.5 months project will pilot the introduction of a hospital-based, nurse-led ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) service for patients being initiated on biologic therapy in NHS Lothian Edinburgh Western General Hospital. It is anticipated that this new model of care will improve: 1. The time from referral for biologic therapy to initiation of treatment with a biological therapy due to the dedicated nurse to see patients 2. The management and monitoring of AS and PsA patients post commencement of treatment , in line with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Setup a nurse-led clinic
Appointing a nurse and training in biologic and DMARD counselling, clinical measures and clinic administration.
Time frame: 3 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to record data on the time taken to commence treatment with a biologic therapy from the point of initial referral to biologic therapy.
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to audit the results of the existing service for AS and PsA patients within the department (based on a cohort of 60 patients most recently initiated on biologics treatment within the department).
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to audit the results of the implementation of the clinic within the department.
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to assist with demonstrating that the care of patients within the clinic is in accordance with the NICE clinical guidelines and that there has been a reduction in the time to initiate biologic therapy at the end of the project against the baseline assessment.
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to develop a patient referral pathway into a new model of AS and PsA patient care, specifically in the nurse-led clinic.
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
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Database enables trust to utilise the new nurse-led clinic to improve consistency of care by reviewing and optimising biologic therapy for all new AS and PsA patients within the department according to NICE guideline recommendations.
Time frame: 19.5 months
Develop and setup a tool, an NHS Lothian Excel database
Database enables trust to use the evaluated model of care to enable NHS Lothian to build an informed business case to fund the continuation of this service in the future and expand it to all patients in their current service.
Time frame: 19.5 months