Health services in rheumatology

Studies of the costs associated with rheumatic diseases, the referral of patients to rheumatology subspecialty care, rheumatology practice patterns, and the relation between medical care and patient outcomes are reviewed. Direct medical costs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are higher among those with more functional disability. Direct medical costs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) did not differ among Canadian, American, and British patients, despite substantial differences in the mechanisms by which medical care is financed and delivered in these three countries. The diagnostic accuracy of rheumatic complaints by primary care physicians may be low, and concomitant psychiatric disorders may not be uncommon among patients referred to rheumatologists. Most patient visits to rheumatologists involve patients with rheumatic diseases or musculoskeletal complaints, and few visits involve primary care. Fewer than half of elderly patients with RA or SLE are seen by a rheumatologist in a given year; access is particularly limited among black women. Early access to rheumatology subspecialty care may be associated with improved health status in patients with RA, and mortality among patients with SLE varies with the experience a hospital has in treating patients with SLE.