Diagnosis and management of gout in Austria. Survey of current practice considering the EULAR recommendations

Background and objectives. Gout shows an increasing incidence and has become a major health problem in the Western world. Despite effective treatment options, neither diagnosis nor therapeutic efforts can be regarded sufficient to date. It was of interest to investigate current handling of gout among Austrian rheumatologists. Material and methods. In 2012, a survey of Austrian rheumatologists concerning diagnosis and management of hyperuricemia and gout was performed. With the consent of the Austrian Society of Rheumatology, 574 society members (343 via electronic mail, 23 via mail) were sent a questionnaire consisting of 17 questions. This is the first survey assessing the management of gout among Austrian rheumatologists. Results. The overall response rate was 22.1%. Of all the contacted members (email and mail), 19.9% answered the questionnaire electronically and only 5.6% by mail. The adherence to the EULAR recommendations for gout ranged between 69 and 95% (median 84%). Conclusion. Among Austrian rheumatologists, the knowledge about gout, its diagnostic and imaging procedures, management and therapeutic goals is good and mainly in line with current international recommendations. To improve the management of patients with gout and hyperuricemia, a more frequent referral to rheumatologists could be beneficial.