Disease activity-based management of rheumatoid arthritis in Dutch daily clinical practice has improved over the past decade.

To re-evaluate the adherence to clinical practice guidelines recommended disease activity-based management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in daily clinical practice, among Dutch rheumatologists in the past decade. In 2007, disease activity was measured in only 16% of outpatient visits. All rheumatologists that participated in the 2007 study were invited to re-enter our study in 2016/2017.

Meta-analysis of tight control strategies in rheumatoid arthritis: protocolized treatment has additional value with respect to the clinical outcome.

Objectives: Tight control studies including regular assessments of disease activity have shown that this approach has beneficial effects on disease activity, disability and joint damage in treating RA patients. Some of these studies included tight control with protocolized treatment, while others applied tight control without protocolized treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of tight control with usual care and to compare the effects of tight control studies with and without protocolized treatment adjustments.

How to improve DAS28 use in daily clinical practice?--a pilot study of a nurse-led intervention.

Objectives: To determine whether DAS28 measurements by a specialized nurse, before the rheumatologist visit, in combination with the advice to rheumatologists to reach a DAS28 < or = 3.2, had beneficial effects on disease activity and medication prescription in patients with RA and to explore possible predictors for variation in medication changes and reasons for non-adherence to the advice to reach a DAS28 < or = 3.2.