EULAR recommendations for the role of the nurse in the management of chronic inflammatory arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
The authors aim to develop European League Against Rheumatism recommendations for the role of the nurse in the management of patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis, to identify a research agenda and to determine an educational agenda.


METHODS
A task force made up of a multidisciplinary expert panel including nurses, rheumatologists, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, epidemiologist and patient representatives, representing 14 European countries, carried out the development of the recommendations, following the European League Against Rheumatism standardised operating procedures. The task force met twice. In the first meeting, the aims of the task force were defined, and eight research questions were developed. This was followed by a comprehensive, systematic literature search. In the second meeting, the results from the literature review were presented to the task force that subsequently formulated the recommendations, research agenda and educational agenda.


RESULTS
In total, 10 recommendations were formulated. Seven recommendations covered the contribution of nurses to care and management: education, satisfaction with care, access to care, disease management, psychosocial support, self-management and efficiency of care. Three recommendations focused on professional support for nurses: availability of guidelines or protocols, access to education and encouragement to undertake extended roles. The strength of the recommendations varied from A to C, dependent on the category of evidence (1A-3), and a high level of agreement was achieved. Additionally, the task force agreed upon 10 topics for future research and an educational agenda.


CONCLUSIONS
10 recommendations for the role of the nurse in the management of chronic inflammatory arthritis were developed using a combination of evidence-based and expert consensus approach.
Department of Integrated Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Postbox 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. yvonne.eijk.hustings@mumc.nl
Yvonne
Y
van Eijk-Hustings
Astrid
A
van Tubergen
Carina
C
Boström
Elena
E
Braychenko
Beate
B
Buss
José
J
Felix
Jill
J
Firth
Alison
A
Hammond
Benny
B
Harston
Cristina
C
Hernandez
Masa
M
Huzjak
Jana
J
Korandová
Marja Leena
ML
Kukkurainen
Robert
R
Landewé
Maryse
M
Mezieres
Marijana
M
Milincovic
Antonella
A
Moretti
Susan
S
Oliver
Jette
J
Primdahl
Marieke
M
Scholte-Voshaar
Jenny
J
de la Torre-Aboki
Jennifer
J
Waite-Jones
Rene
R
Westhovens
Heidi Andersen
HA
Zangi
Turid
T
Heiberg
Jackie
J
Hill
D001168:Arthritis / Q000451:nursing*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015400:Clinical Nursing Research / Q000379:methods; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D024802:Nurse's Role; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000193:education