Across Europe, millions of people live with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and hundreds of thousands live with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
These chronic inflammatory diseases cause stiffness, pain and swelling in the spine and peripheral joints, and can lead to loss of mobility and structural joint damage if untreated. Despite the need for rapid access to optimal management, the patient journey is fraught with challenges, from diagnostic delays to step-up treatment algorithms and a lack of collaboration between multidisciplinary teams. It is clear that the standard of care for patients with axSpA and PsA requires improvement, but where do we start?
Since April 2022, UCB has sponsored an ongoing programme named ‘Rheumacensus’ to elevate the standard of rheumatology care. The programme itself is driven by a 24-strong multistakeholder Consensus Council, consisting of eight healthcare professionals (HCP), eight payers and eight patient representatives from across Europe. Bringing these key stakeholders together to achieve a shared goal provides a unique opportunity for collaboration, and a forum to share and understand each other’s perspectives on the unmet needs and potential improvements required for axSpA/PsA care.
What’s in a name?
The name ‘Rheumacensus’ aptly captures the aim of the programme: to reach consensus on the current challenges in axSpA and PsA management and what is needed to elevate the standard of care to ultimately improve patient outcomes.
To achieve this goal, a three-step process was undertaken: to identify the unmet needs and area of focus for the programme; reach consensus on the required improvements to care, and generate achievable calls to action to drive tangible change.
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