Guidelines

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.

Current guidelines

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

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Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 1

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

2022 NICE-accredited

Rheumatology Roundtable Video

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Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 2

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

2022 NICE-accredited

Rheumatology Roundtable Video

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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

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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

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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

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Systemic sclerosis

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

Rheumatology roundtable

Scope

Audit (see full GL for guidance on audit)

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Gout

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

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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

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Guidelines in development

Hot swollen joint - paediatric and adolescent

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

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Interstitial lung disease (ILD)

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

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Pain management in people with inflammatory arthritis

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

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Foot health in inflammatory arthritis

Management of foot health in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Scope

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Guidelines under revision

Hot swollen joint

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

Executive summary

Full guideline

Hot Joint guideline update

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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

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DMARDs

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

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Lupus

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

2017 guideline

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Biological DMARD safety

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

Executive summary

Full guideline

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Polymyalgia rheumatica

Guideline for the treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica. In revision.

2024 guideline scope

2009 guideline

Executive summary

Scope

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Axial spondyloarthritis

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

2016 guideline

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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.

Overview

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

Get involved in our guidelines

Current guidelines

Behçets

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 1

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Part 2

PsA with biologics/DMARDs

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

Sjögren disease

Systemic sclerosis

Gout

Giant cell arteritis

Guidelines in development

Hot swollen joint - paediatric and adolescent

Interstitial lung disease (ILD)

Pain management in people with inflammatory arthritis

Foot health in inflammatory arthritis

Guidelines under revision

Hot swollen joint

ANCA-associated vasculitis

DMARDs

Lupus

Biological DMARD safety

Polymyalgia rheumatica

Axial spondyloarthritis

Implementing guidelines