PREMs in inflammatory arthritis: from guidelines to standard practice

There is now a widespread realisation that patients' views are not incidental to, but essential to, achieving high-quality care. However, despite increasing awareness of its potential value, patient experience is not routinely assessed in inflammatory arthritis patients at present. In fact, use of patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) to evaluate the patients' management and the quality of services remains a challenge. In contrast with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), adopting a PREMs approach in inflammatory arthritis patients is difficult because of a lack of tools and approach. This article discusses how the guidelines can be translated into standard clinical practice, creating a 'therapeutic alliance' between the health professional and patients. It will also present a novel tool for use of PREMs, which can be used in routine clinical care.