FAQs

Data collection will take place via two online data collection web tools – one for your rheumatology clinician and one for you.

We would like you to provide information via myarthritisaudit.org.uk. To access the website, you will receive a link and instructions to your email address.

If you do not have internet access or would prefer not to use the website, you can still participate. Your rheumatology clinician can provide you with paper questionnaires that you can complete and return to them.

Depending on your diagnosis, you will be asked to complete forms after your first appointment, after 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months. You do not need to remember the dates as we will send a reminder to your email address.

The audit is currently funded for until September 2025 with the possibility of a further extension.

Inflammatory arthritis is a term used to describe a group of conditions which affect your immune system. The three most common forms of inflammatory arthritis are: rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis.

For more information visit https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/inflammatory-arthritis-pathway.aspx

An audit is a process of gathering information, here this is done through questionnaires. The National Early inflammatory Arthritis Audit is designed so that the results help clinicians improve the quality of care for patients with inflammatory arthritis and control their joint inflammation. For patients the aim is that you may become more aware of the care you receive and more able to take control of your health.

Annual reports specifically for patients will be published from Autumn 2019.

The audit will include all NHS hospitals in England and Wales that provide specialist rheumatology outpatient services. Private providers of NHS-funded rheumatology outpatient services are also eligible to take part.

All patients referred to these services with suspected early inflammatory arthritis are entered into the audit, but we only require patient questionnaires from those with a confirmed diagnosis of rheumatoid or rheumatoid pattern arthritis.

BSR (the British Society for Rheumatology) was awarded the contract to run the audit in partnership with Net Solving (who also run the IT for a number of other national audits). We are also working closely with the academic unit at Kings College London, who will provide statistical analysis capability.

Your data will be shared with Net Solving, and then Kings College London. All information will be anonymised, so we will not see your name, date of birth or post code.