The COVID-19 pandemic has seen organisations of all shapes, sizes and purposes, adapting to changes brought on by the virus. The National Health Service (NHS) is no different and has found itself undergoing dramatic changes, at pace, in its service provision. One of the major changes introduced very rapidly when the pandemic struck, was the move from face-to-face appointments to remote consultations by phone or video to reduce infection rates.
It seems clear that some of these changes are here to stay and rheumatology teams are now working hard to determine which patients require a face-to-face appointment and identifying those who are suitable for a remote consultation. What is clear to NRAS is that we need to understand patients’ experiences of accessing rheumatology services during the last 15 months of the pandemic, and how they feel about remote consultations moving forward, to ensure their needs are met and care quality assured.
NRAS is looking for those who are living with either rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or adult juvenile idiopathic arthritis (adult JIA), over the age of 18, currently resident in the United Kingdom and who have had at least one appointment (be it remote, face-to-face, or a combination of both) with a member of their rheumatology team since March 2020.
Please visit the survey page to take part.