Rheumatology helpline: challenges in the biologic therapy era

For rheumatology patients, telephone helplines can provide rapid access to management, advice, information and support. In many cases, the provision of a telephone helpline reflects an attempt to make care more flexible and patient-based. The 'direct' mode advice delivery can only be informally compared with the traditional route of patient access to advice, which often travelled a complex route via overworked medical secretaries or receptionists toward the final destination of medical staff, sometimes engaged in other activities. This article will discuss the challenges facing the rheumatology helpline and how these can be tackled.