Initial Findings from the EULAR RheumaFacts Project Highlight Disparities in RMD Care Across Europe

The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has presented preliminary data from the RheumaFacts project at the 2025 EULAR Congress held in Barcelona. Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) are among the top causes of disability worldwide, significantly impacting healthcare systems and social support networks. A key issue identified is the variability in healthcare resources allocated to RMD across different European countries, contributing to disparities and health inequities.

The RheumaFacts study collected data from 31 countries on various aspects, including access to reimbursed physiotherapy and psychological care, the ability for patients to self-refer to rheumatologists in the public sector, and the availability of rheumatology services and specialists. Findings indicate that the number of rheumatology departments per 100,000 inhabitants varies widely from 0.02 to 0.9, with most (70%)located in non-academic centers. Similarly, the number of rheumatologists per 100,000 population ranged from 0.6 to 8.27, and the number of child rheumatologists was even more variable, from 4 to 84.

Only 17 countries provided self-referral options to rheumatologists within the public healthcare sector. Regarding treatment access, most nations (93%) had access to all available conventional systemic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARD), but fewer had comprehensive access to biologic (37%) and targeted synthetic (47%) therapies. Despite this, nearly all countries offered at least one biologic DMARD, predominantly TNF inhibitors.

Access to supportive non-pharmacological treatments was limited: only 63% of countries offered reimbursed physiotherapy on a chronic basis, and just 30% provided access to psychological care. Lead researcher Anna Moltó emphasized the importance of monitoring these disparities: "Inter-country variability is high in Europe, with only around half of countries having full access to essential drugs and non-pharmacological treatments. RheumaFacts aims to track these inequalities, and our goal is to see improvements to enhance the overall health of RMD patients."

This ongoing study underscores the need for targeted policies to reduce healthcare disparities across Europe, ensuring equitable care for all patients suffering from rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.