Abstract
The main aim was to gain structured insight into the use of musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) in routine rheumatology practices in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. In a cross-sectional, observational, international, multicenter survey, a questionnaire was sent to investigational sites in CEE countries. Data on all subsequent routine MSUS examinations, site characteristics, MSUS equipment, and investigators were collected over 6 months or up to 100 examinations per center. A total of 95 physicians at 44 sites in 9 countries provided information on a total of 2810 MSUS examinations. The most frequent diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (34.8 and 14.9 % of cases, respectively). Mean number of joints examined was 6.8. MSUS was most frequently performed for diagnostic purposes (58 %), particularly in patients with undifferentiated arthritis, suspected soft tissue disorders, or osteoarthritis (73.0–85.3 %). In RA patients, 56.3 % of examinations were conducted to monitor disease activity. Nearly all investigations (99 %) had clinical implications, while the results of 78.6 % of examinations (51.6–99.0 %) were deemed useful for patient education. This first standardized multicountry survey performed in CEEs provided a structured documentation of the routine MSUS use in participating countries. The majority of MSUS examinations were performed for diagnostic purposes, whereas one-third was conducted to monitor disease activity in RA. A majority of examinations had an impact on clinical decision making and were also found to be useful for patient education.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00296-016-3442-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
In the past decade, musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) has been extensively used by an ever-growing number of rheumatologists in both research studies as well as in daily clinical practice
Data were collected on 2810 MSUS examinations performed by 95 rheumatologists at 44 study sites in nine Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, during the observation period from July 2011 to October 2012
In 2.5 % of examinations, information about the potential educational value for the patient was missing. This is the first study that provides comparative information about real-life MSUS examinations in routine rheumatologic care in CEE countries based on a structured questionnaire
Summary
Musculoskeletal ultrasonography (MSUS) has been extensively used by an ever-growing number of rheumatologists in both research studies as well as in daily clinical practice. Progress in practice was accompanied by an increasing need for organized education regarding the use of MSUS [6, 9, 10]. European guidelines for education and documentation of MSUS for rheumatologists, including those issued by the European Federation of Societies of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology were issued [10,11,12]. Advancements in research and education were accompanied by increasing access to MSUS devices among rheumatologists [13]. An increasing number of hospital departments, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments equip their facilities with ultrasound devices suitable for MSUS imaging
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