Postgraduate rheumatology coaching programmes outline the information, expertise, and behaviours wanted for physicians to change into specialists in rheumatology. In some nations there’s a standardized strategy, however in others the programme content material and supply can differ between completely different areas and coaching suppliers. There are additionally variations between nations. Since specialists often transfer and work internationally, there’s a want for a European normal that defines key features.

The brand new EULAR points-to-consider have been developed by a multidisciplinary activity power of 23 well being professionals and affected person representatives from EULAR and UEMS, and accomplished in keeping with EULAR standardized working procedures. The group checked out 132 completely different coaching programs to see the place there have been similarities and variations, and used these to develop solutions for a typical set of anticipated information, expertise, and behaviours for trainee rheumatologists.

The paper – revealed on 15 Might 2023 within the Annals of the Rheumatic Ailments – is break up into three key areas. First, an overarching framework lays out the necessity for medical experience as the primary purpose and basis of any coaching programme. That is adopted by 28 competencies break up throughout seven domains. The domains outline broad areas that rheumatology trainees ought to grasp, from primary actions reminiscent of find out how to bodily look at a affected person in a routine examination to coping with medical emergencies. The competencies additionally embody analysis and administration of particular person rheumatic ailments, plus particular conditions and affected person traits which will have an effect on administration, reminiscent of being pregnant or the presence of comorbidities. The paper additionally units out the necessity for coaching in find out how to set up relationships with each sufferers and colleagues, with the goal of fostering efficient communication and interdisciplinary cooperation. Lastly, the final area consists of analysis and coaching – each for a person’s ongoing studying plan and persevering with medical training all through their profession, and to make sure that they will critically appraise analysis and share related information with sufferers and colleagues.

EULAR and the UEMS hope that these new factors will contribute to harmonising coaching throughout Europe, and finally to a typical degree of information, expertise, {and professional} behaviours for the subsequent era of rheumatologists.