Rheumatoid Arthritis

On this page

Useful Management Information

Patient resources

Support Services and information Arthritis Queensland
Patient Information Sheet on Rheumatoid Arthritis
Empowered  – patient information on Rheumatoid Arthritis from Arthritis Australia

Minimum Referral Criteria

Category 1	New onset, suspected or recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis Active established rheumatoid arthritis requiring escalation of management
Category 2	Known rheumatoid arthritis on established conventional or biologic DMARDs
Category 3	No category 3 criteria
If your patient doesn't meet the minimum referral criteria If the patient does not meet the criteria for referral but the referring practitioner believes the patient requires specialist review, a clinical override may be requested: Please explain why (e.g. warning signs or symptoms, clinical modifiers, uncertain about diagnosis, etc.) Please note that your referral may not be accepted or may be redirected to another service.

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes, BMI), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

History of inflammatory arthritis symptoms, evolution and rate of deterioration

Number and location of swollen, tender joints
Duration of early morning stiffness (greater or less than 30 minutes)
Rheumatoid factor and Anti-CCP
If on a biologic DMARD and for PBS review, please state timeframe
FBC
ELFT
CRP
ESR

If a specific test result cannot be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent reasons a clinical override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the body of the referral.

Additional Referral Information

Extra-articular and systemic features, if any including weight loss
Imaging e.g. XR, MRI/US results of affected joints
Details of previous treatment/management offered and assessment of efficacy including relevant PBS documentation
Pain assessment e.g. waking up at night, analgesic consumption, aggravating and relieving factors
Interference with activities of daily living and working ability
Other screening previously performed including CXR, HepB, HepC, HIV, QuantiFERON Gold (QFG)

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Coming Soon

Internal Referrals

Rheumatology (E-blueslips)

Fax

5687 2496

Post

Cancer Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

5687 2708

Service Availability

Facilities

Gold Coast University Hospital

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.