POS1003 IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON DISEASE ACTIVITY AND FREQUENCY OF OUTPATIENT VISITS IN PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Abstract

BackgroundWe developed an electronic medical record management system (EMRMS) at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) to assess ASDAS by integrating patient reported outcomes (assessed by an independent nurse) and ESR/CRP for AS patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of the EMRMS on frequency and time of outpatient visits.ObjectivesTo investigate the impact of the EMRMS on frequency and time of outpatient visits.MethodsWe identified 652 AS patients who were followed up for at least one year before and after the first ASDAS assessment. We compared the number of outpatient visit and average visit time within one year before and after the initial ASDAS assessment. We identified 201 AS patients who received ≥ 3 continuous ASDAS assessment with an interval of 3 months and compared the 2nd and 3rd ASDAS with the first ASDAS.ResultsThe annual number of outpatient visits was increased after starting ASDAS assessment (5.8±3.5 vs. 5.4±3.4, p<0.001), in particular among those whose initial ASDAS-CRP was > 3.5 (8.7±4.0 vs. 5.7±3.4, p<0.001). The average visit time was shortened within one year after ASDAS assessment (8.7±3.8 vs. 9.2±4.4 minutes, p = 0.030), especially among patients whose ASDAS-CRP was <1.3 (8.5±3.3 vs. 9.2±4.2 minutes, p=0.022). Among patients who received at least 3 ASDAS assessments, the 3rd ASDAS-CRP was significantly lower than the 1st ASDAS-CRP (1.5±0.8 vs. 1.6±0.8, p=0.040).ConclusionEMRMS may increase the frequency of ambulatory visits for AS patiets with very high disease activity and decrease the visit time for AS patients with inactive disease. Continual ASDAS assessment may help control disease activity of AS patients.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared