Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) co-ordinated a three-day summit that brought together experts from 10 different countries to adapt the recently published American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2015 Rheumatoid Arthritis guidelines to the Mena region.
The delegates combined their knowledge of the different healthcare systems and cultures of the region with the most recent evaluation of the available research evidence to decide how best to adapt the ACR guidelines to ensure patients in the region receive the very best possible care.
Dr Thurayya Arayssi, associate professor of medicine and associate dean for continuing professional development at WCM-Q, said: “The medications that are now available to treat rheumatoid arthritis can be extremely effective and often allow patients to live full lives with significantly reduced levels of pain and joint damage. We are very keen to adapt the latest recommendations for our region to ensure patients here receive the full benefit of these modern therapies while taking into consideration their values and preferences.”
The ‘Adaptation of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines for the Eastern Mediterranean Region’ event was organised by WCM-Q and the AUB GRADE Centre and funded by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF), a member of Qatar Foundation and WCM-Q.
In attendance were senior rheumatologists and guideline adaptation experts working in Qatar, the United States, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Oman, Denmark and Saudi Arabia.
Many of the delegates who attended are members of the Middle East Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium.
In three days of presentations, the delegates, guided by the ACR 2015 Rheumatoid Arthritis guidelines, reviewed scientific studies of patient outcomes and discussed the impact of contextual factors such as the varying cost of medication and the unique characteristics of the different healthcare systems throughout the region.
Dr Samar al-Razaq al-Emadi, senior consultant in Internal Medicine/Rheumatology at Hamad Medical Corp and assistant professor of Clinical Medicine at WCM-Q, said: “We have more and better treatments available for rheumatoid arthritis and to make the best of them for patients we need to tailor these important guidelines according to our local needs in the Arab World.”
Through a series of panel discussions, the delegates reached agreement on the form and content of the adapted ACR Guidelines for the Mena region that will soon be published.