The FACTS visit can be used to establish an early diagnosis of RA, to direct the selection of initial treatment for  RA and to monitor the efficacy of current medications and direct changes in treatment.

Members of our team will help us to perform this comprehensive evaluation which includes clinical, laboratory, and imaging components. Our Arthritis Nurse Clinician will administer standardized, internationally-recognized clinical instruments (including questionnaires and clinical exam findings) for the evaluation of RA.. Laboratory testing performed in advance of or at the time of the visit will be reviewed and collated including autoimmune serologies.  X-rays and Inflammatory Arthritis Ultrasound profile profile of targeted and symptomatic joints will be performed by our specially  trained imaging staff.

Following your visit  we will interpret the clinical, laboratory and imaging findings and integrate them into a complete picture of the state of your arthritis disease activity. What follows is a series of recommendations concerning your present arthritis therapy aimed at optimizing your overall treatment program.

For new patients we suggest that the FACTS visit be performed every 2-3 months until the disease activity is brought under control and we are sure that the treatments are preventing damage to the bones and joints. Eventually, within the first year or two the need for these extensive evaluations will diminish as the disease is brought under control so that an annual FACTS evaluation to document continued efficacy of the therapy will be all that is necessary.

The benefits of early detection and aggressive treatment are being more and more appreciated. Research has shown that early control of RA results in no or less joint damage, no or less disability, reduced risk of heart attacks ( as long as other risk factors such as high cholesterol are also treated) and cancer. Also recent information also shows that medications such as Remicade may be discontinued after a year or two when the disease is detected early and aggressive treatment begun promptly.