Indian-origin researcher develops online tool for the early diagnosis of spinal arthritis

Indian-origin researcher Dr Abhijeet Danve at Yale School of Medicine has developed a simple online screening questionnaire called the A-tool to help detect axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), a chronic inflammatory condition that causes persistent back pain. Published in Rheumatology Advances in Practice , the pilot study shows that the A-tool can substantially improve the identification of potential cases of axSpA among people with chronic back pain, helping patients reach specialist care earlier when treatment is most effective. The researchers emphasise that the A-tool is a screening aid, not a diagnostic replacement, but it represents a promising step toward reducing years of diagnostic delay. The A-tool is divided into a three-question prescreen followed by an eight-question scre