Effect of Electronic Medical Record Management Systems on the Disease Activity and Frequency of Outpatient Visits of Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: A cross-sectional

Abstract BackgroundTo investigate the impact of an electronic medical record management system (EMRMS) on disease activity and the frequency of outpatient visits among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).MethodsWe identified 652 patients with AS who were followed up for at least 1 year before and after the first Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) assessment and compared the number of outpatient visits and average visit time within 1 year before and after the initial ASDAS assessment. Finally, we analyzed 201 patients with AS who had complete data and received ≥3 continuous ASDAS assessments at an interval of 3 months, and we compared the results of the second and third ASDAS assessments with those of the first.ResultsThe number of annual outpatient visits increased after ASDAS assessment (5.8 ± 3.4 vs. 5.4 ± 3.4, p < 0.001), particularly among those with a high initial disease activity. The average visit time was reduced within 1 year after ASDAS assessment (8.7 ± 3.8 vs. 9.2 ± 4.4 min, p = 0.030), especially among patients whose ASDAS-C-reactive protein (CRP) was <1.3 (8.5 ± 3.3 vs. 9.2 ± 4.2 min, p = 0.022). Among patients who received at least three ASDAS assessments, the third ASDAS-CRP was significantly lower than the first (1.5 ± 0.8 vs. 1.6 ± 0.8, p = 0.049).ConclusionThe use of an EMRMS increased the frequency of ambulatory visits among AS patients with high disease activity and reduced the visit time among those with an inactive disease. Continual ASDAS assessments may help control the disease activity of patients with AS.Trial registrationInstitutional Review Board (IRB) of Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH-IRB No.: CE20145B)