Overview

BSR's 'gold standard' clinical guidelines support evidence-based clinical practice in rheumatology.

Our guidelines are developed using the methods and processes outlined in Creating Clinical Guidelines: British Society for Rheumatology Protocol and overseen by our Guidelines Steering Group.

Our guidelines grow out of the collaborative efforts of many members and non-members, specialists and generalists and people with lived experience of the topic being covered. We also involve trainees in our guideline working groups as an important educational opportunity.

All guidelines are published in Rheumatology under an ‘open access’ licence.

To develop our guidelines, we partner with the University of Keele to support the evidence review process.
NICE provided accreditation for our clinical guideline development process up until NICE accreditation was no longer available, at the end of 2023.

Our guidelines grow out of the collaborative efforts of many members and non-members, specialists and generalists and people with lived experience of the topic being covered. We also involve trainees in our guideline working groups as an important educational opportunity.

Listen to our recent podcast episode with guideline working group members for tips on applying to join.

 

 

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Get involved in our guidelines

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Behçets

British Association of Dermatologists and British Society for Rheumatology living guideline for managing people with Behçets. 2024 NICE-accredited.

Full guideline
Summary PowerPoint in PDF format 

Patient management algorithm

Plain language summary

Patient information leaflet

Podcast

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 1

Guideline on prescribing drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding Part 1: immunomodulatory anti-rheumatic drugs and corticosteroids. 


2022 NICE-accredited

Executive Summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast

Rheumatology Roundtable Video 

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 2

Guideline on prescribing drugs in pregnancy and breastfeeding Part 2: comorbidity medications used in rheumatology practice. 


2022 NICE-accredited

Executive Summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast

Scope

Rheumatology Roundtable Video

PsA with biologics/DMARDs

Guideline for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis with biologics and targeted synthetic DMARDs. 2022 NICE-accredited.
Executive summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Summary cheat sheet

Summary algorithm slide

Podcast

Rheumatology Roundtable video

Scope

Paediatric, adolescent and adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (myositis)

Guideline for the management of paediatric, adolescent and adult patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (myositis). 2022 NICE-accredited.

Full guideline

Audit tool

Clinical updates podcast

What does it mean for patients podcast

Rheumatology Roundtable video

Sjögren disease

Guideline for the management of adult and juvenile onset Sjögren disease.

2023 NICE-accredited.

Executive summary

Full guideline

Summary sheet
Audit tool

Podcast

Rheumatology Roundtable

Scope

Systemic sclerosis

Guideline for the management of systemic sclerosis in people of all ages. 2024


Executive summary

Full guidance

Summary sheet

Podcast

Rheumatology roundtable

Scope

Audit (see full GL for guidance on audit)

Gout

Guideline for the management of gout. 2017 NICE-accredited. Currently being considered for revision.

Executive summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast 2017  

Podcast 2023

Gout guideline blog

Giant cell arteritis

Guideline on the management of patients with giant cell arteritis. 2020 NICE-accredited. Revision will be considered in 2024.

Executive summary

Full Guideline

Audit tool


Hot swollen joint - paediatric and adolescent

Guideline for the management of hot swollen joint in paediatric and adolescent patients.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD)

Diagnosis and management of systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-associated interstitial lung disease.
Scope

Pain management in people with inflammatory arthritis

Management of pain in paediatric, adolescent, and adult patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Foot health in inflammatory arthritis

Management of foot health in patients with inflammatory arthritis. 

Scope

Hot swollen joint

Guideline for management of hot swollen joint in adults. 2006. In revision.

Executive summary

Full guideline

Hot Joint guideline update


ANCA-associated vasculitis

Guideline for the management of adults with ANCA-associated vasculitis. 2014. Currently being considered for revision.

Executive summary

Full guideline and suggestions for audit


DMARDs

Guideline for the prescription and monitoring of non-biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. 2017 NICE-accredited. In revision. 
Guideline scope 2024


Executive summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast


Lupus

Guideline for the management of adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. 2017 NICE-accredited. In revision.

2023 guideline scope


2017 guideline

Executive summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast


Biological DMARD safety

Guideline for the safe prescribing of biologics in adults with inflammatory arthritis. 2019 NICE-accredited. In revision.

Executive summary

Full guideline


Polymyalgia rheumatica

Guideline for the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica. In revision.

2024 guideline scope

2009 guideline

Executive summary

Scope

Axial spondyloarthritis

Guideline for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (including ankylosing spondylitis) with biologics. 2016 NICE-accredited. In revision.

2023 Guideline Scope

2016 guideline

Executive summary

Full guideline

Audit tool

Podcast


Implementing guidelines

We want to hear your experiences of using the guidelines to help us spot patterns, create case studies and find solutions to problems.

How has care in your unit improved through implementation? What clinical issues have you resolved by using a guideline? Are you or your unit having problems implementing any part of the guidelines?

If there is anything else you would like to share with us about planning, creating, auditing or using the guidelines, please email guidelines@rheumatology.org.uk.