In WP6, we are tasked with an extraordinary challenge: easing the journey for people living with MDR-RA and their rheumatology teams by creating a tool that incorporates knowledge from the other WPs (in the form of an algorithm) and co-designing a care model applicable across centres and countries, the iCare-RA model. Truly epic if we get there!
How has been our own journey to arrive there? We have identified guidelines, talked with stakeholders, read many papers, interviewed healthcare professionals and IT professionals, learned about generative AI, discussed and co-created with our incredible PRPs, talked, talked, talked, and listened, listened, listened… All this allowed us to gain good insight into how care is currently delivered to people with MDR-RA in our settings, the challenges, differences, and inequities, and where improvements are most needed. This work helped us identify differences in clinical practice, gaps in care, and important aspects such as patient experience, treatment decisions, follow-up, and access to multidisciplinary support.
As you can imagine, this journey was carpeted with challenges. Care pathways and treatment approaches vary widely between countries and centres. Rheumatologists are busy understanding inflammation and managing difficult-to-treat RA, and, in their demanding context, integrating patient perspectives into routine care, ensuring consistent guideline use, and addressing complex needs, such as comorbidities and treatment adherence, only make clinical practice even more difficult.
All we can say is that we are learning loads, and everybody has been super helpful. Ultimately, our goal is to support better, more coordinated care and improve outcomes and quality of life for people living with MDR-RA. This keeps us engaged every day.
This article will be updated with images at the CMS-introduction meeting on 2026-05-12.
