Confirming diagnosis
The process of confirming a diagnosis.
Confirming Diagnosis
Dr. Samuel Whittle
Rheumatologist, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide
While it can seem like a slow process, often that stepwise logical process of taking a history, doing an examination, doing some tests, and then observing, can actually be the best way to quickly reach the correct diagnosis.
Linda Bradbury
Nurse Practitioner, Rheumatology, University of Queensland
President, Rheumatology Health Professionals Australia
That initial consultation, the GP is more than likely to prescribe you some painkillers in the first instance; to kind of tide you over, if you like.
Dr. Marina Kang
General Practitioner
I like to give patients an overall summary of what we’ve done in the consultation especially with their joint so I tend to write things down for them; what we’ve done, what blood tests we have ordered, and what to expect when we get them to come back for the results. I’d like to get them to have their blood tests done and then any x-rays done before their next consultation so then we have a complete set of foundational information to be able to help them to be more specific about their diagnosis. So by then the patients have had a time to maybe process some of that information and see how their signs are going, what their stiffness and pain is like – whether it’s improved or gotten any worse perhaps – and then we get them back for their consultation with the information now of the bloods and the x-ray results. With those bits of information we then go on to giving them an option of what they want to do with their symptoms.
Confirming diagnosis

Initial GP visit

Key questions & history taking

Piecing the symptoms together

Referral to rheumatologist

Visiting Physio or GP

Other therapies

What is a rheumatologist?

Preparing for first consultation

Questions rheumatologists will ask

Tests rheumatologists may conduct

Your online research

Rheumatologists can help

Tips and suggestions

Living well with arthritis

Next steps after diagnosis

Reaction to diagnosis

Finding a supportive environment

Working to achieve your goals

Working with your rheumatologist

Developing a working relationship

Treatment management

Personalising treatment plans

Lifestyle management sleep & smoking

Lifestyle management exercise

What is adherence

Exercise

Finding the right treatment

Understanding side effects

Side effects vs benefits

Risk of avoiding medications

Importance of monitoring side effects

Considering the immune system

NSAIDs

Immediate treatment

Introduction to methotrexate

Methotrexate compared with chemotherapy

Methotrexate early side effects

DMARDs

Introduction to biological treatment

Ankylosing spondylitis & biologics

Moving to biological treatment

Biologics are they for you?

Finding the best biological treatment

Changing biologics

Biologics

Early treatment

Treatment disease modifying drugs

Customised treatment

Other treatment options biologics

Treating AS

Treating PsA
