Abbott launches online tool for ankylosing spondylitis
pharmafile | April 23, 2012 | News story | Medical Communications | AS, Abbott, NHS, NICE, ankylosing spondylitis
Abbott has launched a new online assessment tool that has the potential to change the landscape of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patient management in the UK.
Designed to help make assessing AS patients quicker and easier, ‘Talking AS’ is the first tool of its kind that allows patients to record their disease activity remotely.
This the firm says will enable specialists to optimise the way they follow up individual patients.
AS is a long-term, progressive, autoimmune disease, which primarily affects the spine, causing inflammatory back pain and stiffness.
Regular assessment is key to managing the condition as it allows for the disease state to be monitored over time and therapy adjusted accordingly.
Using Talking AS the specialist can decide whether or not they need to review their patients’ drug treatments every three months (as recommended by NICE), and can therefore potentially cut down on the number of appointments if the data indicates a visit is not required.
In turn, the online assessment allows the patient to become more involved in their care plan, which can help them understand and manage their disease, and also help them to better recognise and report significant changes in their condition.
Debbie Cook, director of the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society, said: “This is a great tool to enable patients to take even more responsibility for the management of their condition.”
Abbott’s blockbuster drug Humira (adalimumab) is licensed to treat AS, as well as a number of other auto-inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
The drug made $7.9 billion last year, and is expected to become the biggest selling drug in the world this year.
Helping to save the NHS money
Talking AS has been developed by Abbott in partnership with Dr Raj Sengupta, a consultant rheumatologist at Bath.
Dr Sengupta is hopeful that this initiative will ensure that the monitoring of all AS patients is standardised, and that it will potentially reduce the number of unnecessary clinic appointments:
“Once a patient is diagnosed with AS, their disease should be monitored using a range of patient completed questionnaires in order to monitor their progress,” he said.
“NICE guidelines recommend a three-monthly review if AS patients are on biologics, but it may not be possible or necessary to see a patient in person every three months which is why Talking AS is such a great solution.”
Talking AS also aligns to the Department of Health’s target to see 3 million patients consulting their doctors and managing their health conditions online by 2017, saving the NHS £1.2 billion.
The online assessment was tested in a number of pilot centres and the results so far have been promising, according to Dr Sengupta.
He added: “The results we have seen across the units currently trialing Talking AS have been very encouraging and I am confident that it has the ability to revolutionise the monitoring of AS patients and also to reduce unnecessary clinic appointments.
“I firmly believe that innovative solutions such as this will go some way to addressing the ongoing capacity burden that the NHS is facing across a broad range of disease areas.”
To find out more visit www.talkingas.com or visit the NASS website at www.nass.co.uk.
This is the second launch of a new tool for doctors from Abbott this year; in March, the firm launched its ‘Outside In’ initiative.
This brought together an expert group of rheumatologists and dermatologists with Abbott to develop new clinical tools for psoriatic arthritis patients.
Ben Adams is the reporter for Pharmafocus and InPharm.com and manages the DigiBlog site. He can be contacted via: email or Twitter.
Related Content
Digital mental health technologies – a valuable tool in supporting people with depression and anxiety
The potential benefits of digital mental health technology for managing depression, anxiety and stress, together …
A community-first future: which pathways will get us there?
In the final Gateway to Local Adoption article of 2025, Visions4Health caught up with Julian …
The Pharma Files: with Dr Ewen Cameron, Chief Executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Pharmafile chats with Dr Ewen Cameron, Chief Executive of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, about …
