Differences and similarities in rheumatology specialty training programmes across European countries.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the similarities and discrepancies between the official rheumatology specialty training programmes across Europe.


METHODS
A steering committee defined the main aspects of training to be assessed. In 2013, the rheumatology official training programmes were reviewed for each of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) countries and two local physicians independently extracted data on the structure of training, included competencies and assessments performed. Analyses were descriptive.


RESULTS
41 of the 45 EULAR countries currently provide specialist training in rheumatology; in the remaining four rheumatologists are trained abroad. 36 (88%) had a single national curriculum, one country had two national curricula and four had only local or university-specific curricula. The mean length of training programmes in rheumatology was 45 (SD 19) months, ranging between 3 and 72 months. General internal medicine training was mandatory in 40 (98%) countries, and was performed prior to and/or during the rheumatology training programme (mean length: 33 (19) months). 33 (80%) countries had a formal final examination.


CONCLUSIONS
Most European countries provide training in rheumatology, but the length, structure, contents and assessments of these training programmes are quite heterogeneous. In order to promote excellence in standards of care and to support physicians' mobility, a certain degree of harmonisation should be encouraged.
Rheumatology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Elda, Elda, Spain.
Francisca
F
Sivera
Amsterdam Rheumatology Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal.
Sofia
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8899-9087
S
Ramiro
University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Nada
N
Cikes
Department of Rheumatology, Université Paris Descartes University, Hôpital Cochin, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris; INSERM (U1153); Epidemiologie Clinique et Biostatistiques, PRES Sorbonne Paris-Cité, Paris, France.
Maxime
M
Dougados
UPMC Univ Paris 06, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France Department of Rheumatology, AP-HP, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
Laure
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4528-310X
L
Gossec
Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Tore K
TK
Kvien
Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ingrid E
IE
Lundberg
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Peter
P
Mandl
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK.
Arumugam
A
Moorthy
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK.
Sonia
S
Panchal
Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
José A P
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2782-6780
JA
da Silva
Rheumatology Department, Hospital General Universitario de Elda, Elda, Spain University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Johannes W
JW
Bijlsma
D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000193:education*
Epidemiology; Health services research; Qualitative research