DANBIO--powerful research database and electronic patient record.

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Health Informatics
• Clinical Research

Background:

• The Danish Nationwide DANBIO registry collects real-world clinical data for patients with inflammatory arthropathies.
• It functions as both a routine clinical care tool and a valuable research database.
• The registry is approved as a national quality registry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the DANBIO registry's design, funding, and data linkage.
• To provide an overview of research outcomes from the registry.
• To present patient cohorts, focusing on rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data collection from patients with RA, psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
• Electronic data capture directly from patients and healthcare professionals.
• Secure linkage with national registers via unique personal identification codes for research.

Main Results:

• Over 10,000 patients included since 2000, with research focused on treatment efficacy and drug survival.
• Patients initiating biologic treatment for RA were younger, had longer disease duration, higher activity, and more prior treatments compared to those on conventional DMARDs.
• Despite differences in patient profiles, remission rates and current disease activity levels were similar between conventional and biologic treatment groups.

Conclusions:

• DANBIO functions as an electronic patient record in daily practice.
• The registry serves as a robust database for clinical research on inflammatory arthropathies.
• Clinicians appear to maintain consistent treatment goals for RA patients irrespective of therapy type.