Segment 2 - The Importance of Early Diagnosis in RA

The panelists expanded upon Dr O’Dell’s comments and explored current RA diagnostic strategies as they have developed over the past 2 centuries.

Dr Ruderman suggested that RA management is not just about managing symptoms, it’s about controlling the disease. It’s important to diagnose the disease early, and to begin treating patients before side effects of the disease become permanent.

Dr O’Dell also commented on the most common mistakes that lead to under- or late diagnoses of RA. He suggested that some older physicians may lack appropriate training in RA management, and recommended that clinicians become very familiar with the early symptoms of the disease.

“It’s incredibly important to know what kind of arthritis you’re dealing with,” Dr O’Dell said. “The expectation should be extremely high for taking someone with rheumatoid arthritis—which is and can be a devastating disease—and making them normal.”