Rheumatoid Arthritis
Adult

Rheumatology

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Emergency Referrals

Useful Management Information

Refer to local HealthPathways or local guidelines
Early discussion with Rheumatologist will aid prioritisation if the patient is unwell and may need to be seen urgently.

Patient resources

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

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category 1 (appointment within 30 calendar days)	New onset, suspected or recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis Active established rheumatoid arthritis requiring escalation of management
Category 2 (appointment within 90 calendar days)	Known rheumatoid arthritis on established conventional or biologic/targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs)
Category 3 (appointment within 365 calendar days)	No category 3 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), 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

Onset of inflammatory arthritis symptoms, timing of evolution and rate of deterioration
Number and location of swollen, tender joints and other examination findings
Duration of early morning stiffness (greater or less than 30 minutes)
Anti-CCP and Rheumatoid factor (RF)
If on a b/tsDMARD (Specialist only prescribed medication) please state the timeframe for renewal, and last renewed
FBC, E/LFTs CRP, ESR

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 b/ts DMARD PBS application documentation and prior rheumatology clinic letters
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, HBV, HCV, HIV, QuantiFERON Gold (QFG)
Prior rheumatology correspondence (if relevant)

Send Referrals To

Smart Referrals

Preferred Method
About Smart Referrals

Secure Web Transfer

Send to: Gold Coast Health Service District

Internal Referrals

Rheumatology qhRefer

Fax

(07) 5687 4497

Post

Booking and Referral Centre
Gold Coast University Hospital
1 Hospital Boulevard
Southport QLD 4215

Enquiries

(07) 5687 2708

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Dr Jacob Ijdo

Medical Director Rheumatology

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.

Rheumatoid ArthritisAdult