EULAR RheumaFacts: First Data & Insights
- New data presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2025 congress in barcelona highlights significant inequities in the care of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD)...
- RMDs are a leading cause of disability globally,resulting in substantial healthcare and social support costs.
- The RheumaFacts project gathered data on various topics, including access to reimbursed physiotherapy and psychological care, self-referral options to rheumatologists, the number of rheumatology departments and rheumatologists, and...
The EULAR RheumaFacts project unveils important disparities in rheumatic disease care across europe, painting a clear picture of inequities in access to treatments and specialists. The study reveals varying resource allocation, from the availability of rheumatologists to access to crucial therapies like b/tsDMARDs. Access to both physiotherapy and psychological care also presents challenges, with significant inter-country variability. News Directory 3 brings you this critical look at how these rheumatic diseases are being treated, and unveils the impact of limited access to care for RMD patients. discover how the RheumaFacts project aims to monitor these disparities and advocate for better resource allocation and improved patient outcomes. Discover what’s next …
European Study Reveals Inequities in Rheumatic Disease Care
Updated June 15, 2025
New data presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2025 congress in barcelona highlights significant inequities in the care of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) across Europe. The RheumaFacts project, a study collecting data from EULAR member countries, reveals disparities in resource allocation, access to treatments, and the availability of specialists.
RMDs are a leading cause of disability globally,resulting in substantial healthcare and social support costs. According to researchers, the variability in resources and organizational aspects of health systems across Europe contributes to these disparities.
The RheumaFacts project gathered data on various topics, including access to reimbursed physiotherapy and psychological care, self-referral options to rheumatologists, the number of rheumatology departments and rheumatologists, and treatment availability. To date, 31 countries have contributed data to the project.
The findings indicate that the number of rheumatology departments per 100,000 inhabitants ranges from 0.02 to 0.9, with the majority (70%) located in non-academic centers. The number of rheumatologists per 100,000 inhabitants varies even more widely, from 0.6 to 8.27. The availability of pediatric rheumatologists also shows significant variation,ranging from 4 to 84 across the participating countries. Only 17 countries allow self-referral to a rheumatologist within the public sector.
Regarding access to care,most countries (93%) provide access to all conventional systemic disease-modifying drugs (csDMARDs). However, only 37% and 47% offer access to all biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs), respectively. nearly every country has at least one bDMARD available, primarily TNFi.
Access to reimbursed physiotherapy for RMD patients on a chronic care basis is available in only 63% of the countries surveyed, and only 30% reported having access to psychological care.
“Inter-country variability is high in Europe, with only around half of countries having full access to drugs and to reimbursed non-pharmacological treatments,” saeid Anna Moltó, lead author of the study. “RheumaFacts should allow us to monitor this, and we hope we will see inequities decrease in order to improve the overall health of patients living with RMD.”
What’s next
The RheumaFacts project aims to continue monitoring these inequities and advocating for improved resource allocation and access to care for RMD patients across Europe. future research will focus on identifying best practices and developing strategies to reduce disparities and improve patient outcomes.