Conclusions
Research shows that early diagnosis and
treatment of RA can improve outcomes for
patients. Practice nurses are important in
identifying people who may be developing
RA, and their central role in general practices
facilitates this. As practice nurses see patients
for varied reasons, they can pick up on
symptoms that may be indicative of early
inflammatory arthritis. It is to be hoped that
this article will give practice nurses direction
to increase their knowledge and understanding
of RA and so become a key part of this process.