Usefulness of rheumatology consultancy in situ: Analysis of a long-term experience

To report the long-term experience of a rheumatologist consultant "in situ" (RCI) in a primary care centre (PCC).

Observational retrospective study analysing the complete cohort of the patients seen by the RCI between 2013 and 2019. Rheumatology patients' clinical characteristics and course of care were collected to estimate the diagnoses that were most likely to be monitored by a primary care physician (PCP).

A total of 876 consultations were attended; 205 were men (23.4%) and 671 women (76.6%).Most of the consultations (280, 33.2%) were diagnostic. On 167 occasions (19.8%) therapeutic issues were analysed; in 47 (5.6%) therapeutic infiltrations were performed. Chronic patient control was applied in 163 subjects (19.3%). A request for tests not available to the PCP was the reason for the consultation in 154 situations (18.3%). The profile most likely to continue being monitored in the PCC is the patient with osteoarthritis (OR = .13, CI 95%: .02-.67), soft tissue rheumatism (OR = .006, 95% CI: .01-.45) or cervical disc herniation (OR = .13, 95% CI: .02-.66). Less likely to be monitored by PCP after being seen by the RCI were subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (OR = .03, 95% CI: .00-.24), other inflammatory arthropathies (OR = .36, 95% CI: .16-.80) or with polymyalgia rheumatica (OR = .19, 95% CI: .06-.64 ), and those in need of chronic disease monitoring (OR = .16, 95% CI: .07-.34).

The RCI makes it easier for the PCP to monitor patients with osteoarthritis, soft tissue rheumatism and cervical disc pathology.