A roadmap for education to improve the quality of care in gout

Abstract

To describe obstacles to optimum management of gout by primary care physicians and to propose educational interventions to improve care. In the past, gout education has been hampered by infrequency of continuing medical education courses, loss of excitement for a disease in which therapies have not changed (until recently), insufficient evidence-based medicine, and the lack of motivation by physicians to re-learn this disease once in active practice. We identify 10 common myths that impede appropriate treatment of gout, identify gaps in evidence-based medicine that perpetuate those myths, and propose opportunities to improve education on these myths. It is through better gout-centered education that quality of care in gout can be enhanced. Residency may be one of the key points of intervention. As more evidence-based medicine publications address the optimum management of gout, national re-education can occur. More outreach by community rheumatologists to primary care physicians through educational programs and improved referral letters can help re-educate practitioners. Lastly, an often overlooked engine to change physician practices is consumer education, but current patient education programs are lacking. Novel education interventions for physician trainees, primary care physicians, and patients are proposed to improve the care of patients with gout.