Gout Diagnosis

Gout is a tricky diagnosis to make. Rarely is it made via the gold standard technique of synovial aspiration and polarized light microscopy. The vast majority of diagnoses are clinical. A primary care and rheumatologist team of Dutch researchers led by Hein Janssens derived and published a clinical decision rule in 2010. This app brings that decision rule to primary care physicians, rheumatologists, and acute care (ER/urgent-care) clinicians everywhere. With just a few clicks of information about a patient's case, you can see what the gout diagnosis calculator suggests about the patient's chances of having gout or not having gout. The app is a collaboration by Dr. Joshua Steinberg and Dr. Hein Janssens, both family physicians. The first version offers English and Dutch versions. Updates coming soon will offer German, French, and Spanish versions. The app also contains educational background information about the diagnosis of gout in general and about how the gout diagnostic rule and calculator were developed and later validated. Full references to the literature are provided including links to Pub Med. Like all my apps, this app is intended for clinicians only, not the lay public. It is written to help family physicians, internists, general practitioners, rheumatologists, residents, and students consider the diagnosis of gout in those who present with acute mono-arthritis. As an educator and clinician myself, I am interested in feedback and I would be grateful for guidance on improving this tool.