Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD)

Clinical Epidemiology - Cabrini

Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, A/Prof Lyn March, Prof Marissa Lassere, A/Prof Chris Reid

The Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) is a voluntary national registry which has been established to collect health information from Australian patients with inflammatory arthritis for the purpose of monitoring the benefits and safety of new treatments, in particular the biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

It is currently funded by an NHMRC Enabling Grant and through unrestricted grants from pharmceutical companies to the Australian Rheumatology Association. The CCRE in Therapeutics provide data management support for this teleform based project. All patients with inflammatory arthritis in Australia are invited to participate in ARAD by their treating rheumatologist. Patients can also self refer. Follow-up questionnaires are mailed every 6 months. Participating rheumatologists are sent bi-annual reports.