Key questions & history taking
There are 120 different kinds of Arthritis. How do specialists identify the patients disease?
Key Questions & History Taking
Dr. Mona Marabani
Rheumatologist
President, Australian Rheumatology Association
Now there are a hundred and twenty different kinds of arthritis so it’s a challenge for the GP to get on top of this; particularly in one short consultation. So it may be the decision is made to try some simple treatments or do some simple tests to start with and the GP then gets you back quite quickly.
Linda Bradbury
Nurse Practitioner, Rheumatology, University of Queensland
President, Rheumatology Health Professionals Australia
He’s then going to have a look at you and have a look at the joints that you’re talking about and work out where the joints are and what’s painful to you. So it will be a combination of having a chat, having a look at your joints.
Dr. Marina Kang
General Practitioner
So I like to examine them by looking at their joints specifically, their main concern. Perhaps looking at the rest of their joints and doing an overall examination to make sure they don’t have a fever, that there’s no other external signs that might be affecting their heart, their lungs, their bowel, their skin, their joints, their nerves.
Linda Bradbury
Nurse Practitioner, Rheumatology, University of Queensland
President, Rheumatology Health Professionals Australia
The GP will also listen to your heart and lungs and also check your blood pressure. Again all very important things, not only in the general examination, but also may be pointers to actually what’s going on with your joints as well.
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
