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To view the procedure you must follow to seek approval for your research study to be advertised on the ARA website click here.
Information regarding studies that are currently recruiting participants can be found below.
The Arthritis Australia website also has a page where consumers can express interest in joining a research study.
Project Title Awareness and use of Australian Living Guidelines for Rheumatology among rheumatologists
Survey Summary
👋 Hey there Rheumatologists!
Researchers from Monash University are looking for your input on the Australian Living Guidelines for Rheumatology through a short online survey.
⏱️ The survey takes around 10-15 minutes to complete and is mostly multiple choice or rating-scale questions, with a few optional opportunities to leave comments.
💻 You can complete it anytime on your phone, tablet or computer via the following link.
The survey explores how aware rheumatologists are of the guidelines, how they’re being used in practice, and what helps or gets in the way of putting them into action. You’ll also be asked which recommendations you think are most important and realistic to implement, along with your thoughts on patient and carer awareness of the guidelines.
There’s also an option to express interest in a follow-up online discussion to explore the guidelines in more depth. Participants in the follow-up meeting will receive a $120 gift voucher.
Your feedback will help inform future implementation and support for rheumatology guidelines in Australia.
Principal Investigators and ARA Endorsements Professor Rachelle Buchbinder and Dr Sam Whittle, chair and facilitator, respectively, of the Australian Living Guidelines for Rheumatology, invite Australian rheumatologists to participate in a brief research study.
Broad Aims of this Project Despite the guidelines being publicly available since 2019, no published data exist on rheumatologists’ awareness and use of the guidelines, and what helps or hinders their uptake in practice. This study aims to understand these issues and how their dissemination and impact can be improved.
Objectives and Reasons for Doing this Research Project
1. To determine the extent of awareness of the Australian Living Guidelines for Rheumatology among Australian rheumatologists. 2. To characterise patterns of access and use of the living guidelines in clinical practice. 3. To identify barriers and enablers to uptake and implementation, including those specific to the living guideline format, using a theory-informed approach. 4. To explore which specific recommendations clinicians consider most important and feasible to implement in practice. 5. To explore patient and carer awareness of the guideline, as reported by clinicians. 6. To identify barriers and related theoretical domains most salient to living guideline implementation to inform future theory-based implementation strategies.
Recruitment of Participants and Selection Criteria Registered rheumatologists and immunologists, including trainees, currently practising in Australia and managing patients with inflammatory arthritis (RA, axSpA, PsA) and/or JIA.
Ethics Approval Details Ethics approval was approved from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC) on 15 May 2026.
For more information, please contact: Dr Sam Whittle (sam@whit.tl) or Prof Rachelle Buchbinder (Rachelle.Buchbinder@monash.edu)
Research Study Closes: 17 July 2026
Date Posted: 17 June 2026
Project Title A multicentre, open-label randomised controlled trial of DMARD dose maintenance (USUAL CARE) vs DMARD discontinuation after reduction (TAPER) in adult patients with rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis (RA and PsA) on stable b/tsDMARD therapy +/- csDMARD/s, who are in sustained low disease activity at baseline for cost-utility comparison and multiomic mechanistic analyses to predict success of down-titration strategies
Principal Investigators
Broad Aims of this Project
Reasons for Doing this Research Project Long-term use of the immunomodulating DMARD therapies may lead to overtreatment, with elevated risks of adverse events and unnecessary costs, however there is currently no clear guidance for when, how to, and who can withdraw therapies in RA or PsA. International consensus on the safest reduction protocols and predictors of success are severely lacking and there are no data in the Australian context where criteria for accessing biologics differs in important ways from the rest of the world. Trials to-date have primarily been conducted with the anti-TNF bDMARD agents, they have not always had a usual-care comparator arm and many have been conducted in the setting of relatively early disease and are not generalisable to all. This trial will substantially address these uncertainties and will enhance the implementation of down-titration strategies if proven to be safe and cost-effective in the Australian setting.
Recruitment of Participants and Selection Criteria Participants will be approximately 270 adults with well-controlled RA or PsA across 11 sites. Major selection criteria include that subjects:
Ethics Approval Details Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) Approval Number: 2021/ETH11902 Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12621001695897
Time Period of the Research Project Anticipated end date by Jun 2027
For Further Information Contact 02 9463 1758 or email prospect.trial@sydney.edu.au Click here for Health Professionals Brochure
Research Study Closes: 30 June 2027 Date Posted: August 2024