Background: Patients with rheumatic diseases treated with biological therapy are usually followed up by rheumatologists. Nurse-led rheumatology clinics have been proposed for patients who are in low disease activity or remission.

Objectives: To compare treatment outcomes from a nurse-led rheumatology clinic and a rheumatologist clinic for patients treated with biological therapy with low disease activity or in remission.

Methods: In a prospective controlled study 107 patients were randomised into two groups with six months follow up to a rheumatology nurse (intervention group; n=53) or to a rheumatologist (control group; n=54). Inclusion criteria were ongoing biological therapy and Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) ≤3.2. All patients met the rheumatologist at inclusion and after 12 months. In the nurse-led rheumatology clinic the patients´ disease activity was assessed by examination of tender or swollen joints and laboratory tests. The rheumatology nurse also had a dialogue concerning the patient’s needs with regard to drug therapy, smoking habits and psychosocial aspects. After 12 months 97 patients completed the study. Main outcome was disease activity measured by DAS28.

Results: Patients had mean age of 55.4 years and disease duration of 16.7 years. DAS28 was 2.1. At inclusion there were no significant differences in DAS28 between the groups. There were no differences (p=0.67) in change of DAS28 between the intervention group (0.14) or control group (0.20) from inclusion to 12 months.

Conclusions: In patients with low disease activity biological therapy could be monitored by a nurse-led rheumatology clinic without any differences in outcome as measured by DAS28.