[Rheumatological care in Germany : Memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology 2024].

Background: Rheumatology in Germany is facing major challenges. The need for rheumatological care is increasing and can no longer be met in some regions for capacity reasons. Too many people with an inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) have to forego appropriate care or receive it too late.

[Patient-reported outcomes in German vasculitis patients-Data from the KOBRA quality project].

Background/objectives: Current data on the care of patients with vasculitis in Germany are scarce. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires can capture aspects of the disease that escape conventional scores for disease activity, remission, and damage. For this reason, the Association of Rheumatological Acute Care Clinics (VRA) initiated a data analysis as part of the KOBRA quality project, the results of which are presented here.

[Rheumatology centers according to the regulations of the Federal Joint Committee].

With the Nursing Staff Strengthening Act (Pflegepersonal-Stärkungs-Gesetz), the legislator delegated the specification of the special tasks of centers and focal points to the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). Due to extensive preliminary work it was already possible to agree on quality requirements and special tasks for rheumatology centers and centers for pediatric and adolescent rheumatology in the first version of the G‑BA regulations. Since publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) on 12 March 2020, rheumatology centers have been able to negotiate surcharges for their special tasks if they have been designated accordingly by the state authorities responsible for hospital planning.