[Celebrating 33 years of the DRFZ: Epidemiology and Health Services Research]

The scientific focus of the DRFZ's Programme Area Epidemiology and Health Services Research is, on the one hand, investigating the health care situation of people with rheumatic diseases in Germany, including its deficits, progress and trends. On the other hand, an essential goal is to uncover risk factors for unfavourable disease trajectories, but also protective factors, through the long-term observation of disease courses in large cohorts. With the approval of innovative, targeted therapies at the beginning of this millennium, the question of the real-world safety and effectiveness of the various anti-rheumatic therapies became a key issue for doctors and patients. The biologics registers have developed into central instruments of the programme area, which enable questions on comparative drug safety, but also on therapy effectiveness and risk reduction through effective therapy, to be answered in a robust manner.In this article, selected results of epidemiological research at the DRFZ are presented. The overall goal of the research was and is to contribute to improving the quality of life of children and adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. This is the purpose of clinical-evaluative health services research as well as the acquisition of knowledge that supports effective, individualised therapy. Large, long-term patient cohorts and a stable network with clinical rheumatologists and those affected have proven to be indispensable instruments.