Objectives: To study variations in Canadian clinical practice patterns for the management of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) and identify points to consider for the development of national recommendations.
Material and methodology: A 30-item needs assessment questionnaire was sent to all members of the Canadian Vasculitis network (CanVasc), Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA), Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) and Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN). Respondent characteristics, practice patterns, concerns and expectations were analyzed.
Results: Among 132 physicians who followed at least 1 vasculitis patient and responded to the survey, 39% stated that they felt confident in their management of AAV. Several variations in practice were observed regarding diagnostic procedure, induction and maintenance treatments and use of biologics; some were due to logistic constraints (difficulties in access to some specific tests, drugs or care; lack of health care coverage for the costs). The top 5 topics for which recommendations are expected involve treatment for remission induction, maintenance, refractory disease, and relapse as well as biologics.
Conclusion: Practice variations identified in this needs assessment survey will serve to formulate key questions for the development of CanVasc recommendations.
Keywords: ANCA-associated vasculitis; CanVasc; physician practice patterns.