[Memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology on the quality of treatment in rheumatology - Update 2016]. / Memorandum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie zur Versorgungsqualität in der Rheumatologie ­ Update 2016.

On behalf of the Steering Committee of the German Society for Rheumatology, in 2016 the Interdisciplinary Commission on Healthcare Quality updated the 2008 memorandum on rheumatological healthcare in Germany. The update considers changes in therapeutic strategies, treatment targets as well as current structures in healthcare and the political framework. It concentrates on examination of the need for rheumatologists with a background in internal medicine and determines the gap between needs and supply. The internist rheumatologist is responsible for the care of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and contributes to the care of patients with severe forms of other musculoskeletal diseases. At least 2 internist rheumatologists are needed for the outpatient care of 100,000 adult inhabitants, equivalent to 1350 rheumatologists in Germany. With currently 776 rheumatologists, we have little more than half of what we need. The German Society for Rheumatology calls for specific requirements planning for rheumatologists in outpatient care in order to decrease the deficit. In acute inpatient care we need specialized hospitals and wards that ensure a high quality of treatment for patients with complex diseases. We need up to 50 beds per 1 million inhabitants. At least 2 full-time internist rheumatologists and 3 further physicians are needed per 30 beds. In inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation we need 40 beds or outpatient places per 1 million inhabitants with at least 1 full-time rheumatologist and 1 further physician. In order to reduce the existing deficits and to cover the increasing future need for rheumatologists, more emphasis has to be laid on primary and secondary education. Chairs for internal rheumatology are needed at each medical university and more positions for postgraduate training in rheumatology should be provided. In all segments of healthcare the treatment aims should be jointly defined between patients and physicians. The patients should be treated in an interdisciplinary network, comprising other medical specialties, health professionals as well as patient organizations.

[Rheumatology - Integration into student training (RISA) : Current structure of clinical rheumatology in German universities (RISA III)]. / Rheumatologie - Integration in die studentische Ausbildung (RISA) : Zur aktuellen Struktur der internistischen Rheumatologie an deutschen Hochschulen (RISA III).

The German Society of Rheumatology and the Committee for Student Training investigated what effects the structures in university medicine have on student teaching. In February 2014 a questionnaire was sent to the teaching staff and Deans of each of the 37 medical faculties. Of the locations seven were classified as being independent rheumatological university hospitals and nine universities had a W2/W3/C3 grade professor as head of a department of clinical rheumatology but answerable to superiors. In the 37 faculties in Germany the proportion of lecture hours, the proportion of obligatory lecture hours, the number of hours for practical exercises and the number of hours for bedside teaching were distributed very differently and as a rule higher in universities with academic freedom. Not all medical faculties have obligatory teaching in the field of clinical rheumatology. On average medical students see five patients with rheumatological symptoms during their studies. In summary, over the past years it has not been possible to successfully utilize the great importance of rheumatology for society and the innovation potential of this discipline in order to improve the integration of clinical rheumatology into universities.

[Standards of care for people with rheumatoid arthritis in Europe : Translation and comments of the eumusc.net recommendations supported by EULAR performed by a national task force of the professional organisations DGRh and VRA supported by "Deutsche Rheumaliga"]. / Europäische Versorgungsstandards für Menschen mit rheumatoider Arthritis : Übersetzung und Kommentierung der von der EULAR unterstützten Vorschläge des eumusc.net durch eine Task Force von DGRh und VRA mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Rheuma-Liga.

In a joint initiative by the boards of the German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh) and the Association of Rheumatology Clinics (VRA) the European "standards of care" for rheumatoid arthritis, recently suggested by the European Musculoskeletal Conditions Surveillance and Information Network (eumusc.net) and supported by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), were translated and annotated. The recommendations include aspects of the management of the disease, actual medical care, and access to information - this includes all types of support people with RA need, and, last but not least communication of the necessary knowledge. Furthermore, health care structures such as the availability of medical staff with relevant expertise are also important.