It is important that inflammatory arthropathies such as rheumatoid arthritis be diagnosed promptly so that treatment can be administered in a timely fashion. However, there is considerable evidence that this process of care is delayed in many people. The aim of the study is to assess wait times between primary care referral and rheumatology assessment for new-onset inflammatory arthropathies. We performed a retrospective review related to new rheumatology consultations (N = 202) between September and November 2008 within the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada. At this centre, no formal triaging of rheumatology referrals exists. Of the 202 charts reviewed, wait times could be calculated in 164 cases. Only consultations for new-onset conditions were analyzed (N = 161). The results showed that patients with inflammatory arthritis were seen approximately 34.6 days (median 26) post-referral. Wait times for individuals who were ultimately diagnosed with non-urgent conditions (osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and soft-tissue rheumatism) averaged 41.0 days (median 29). In conclusions, compared to non-urgent cases, individuals with inflammatory arthritis were seen about 1 week sooner. Nevertheless, provisional diagnosis provided on referrals did not appear to expedite wait times for persons with suspected inflammatory arthritis. This suggested that other factors, such as the concern of the patient, may have an influence on referral wait times. Implementation of a rapid access program or triage system may be helpful to further decrease wait times for inflammatory arthropathies.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the ability of HbA 1c combined with glycated albumin (GA) or 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) to detect diabetes in residents of Jiangsu, China. Methods:The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on 2184 people in Jiangsu. HbA 1c , GA, 1,5-AG and other serum biochemical parameters were measured. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted to determine the optimal thresholds of HbA 1c , GA and 1,5-AG according to the Youden index. Results:(1) The optimal thresholds of HbA 1c , GA and 1,5-AG for the screening of diabetes were ≥45 mmol/mol (6.3%), ≥13.0% and ≤23.0 μg/ml, respectively. (2)The sensitivities of HbA 1c combined with GA and 1,5-AG were both 85%, higher than that of HbA 1c (70%, p < 0.001). Conclusions:This study is suitable for cases where plasma glucose is unavailable. Among the residents of Jiangsu, HbA 1c combined with GA or 1,5-AG can improve the sensitivity of diabetes screening, reduce the miss rate and save the use of OGTT. GA and 1,5-AG are superior in individuals with mild glucose metabolism disorder. GA enhances the detection of diabetes in the nonobese, and 1,5-AG enhances the detection in those with hyperuricaemia.