Introduction Articular problems affect many patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and joint symptoms are often difficult to control despite the therapeutic strategies aimed at controlling gut inflammation (1). Patients with inflammatory rheumatic conditions present a range of clinical problems to the gastroenterologist such as IBD, dysmotility, dysbiosis, liver dysfunction, nutritional problems and drug side effects. Patients often drift between the two specialties with inefficient communication and subsequent delay in a joined up approach to management. We therefore developed a joint gastroenterology/rheumatology clinic to improve the care of these complex patients and now report our experience of the first year.

Methods The clinic is run by a consultant gastroenterologist (GC) and consultant rheumatologist (TL) and attended by both GI and rheumatology trainees, nurse practitioners and medical students. Patients are referred from the respective specialties by consultant or SpR grade physicians. Each patient is given a 30 minute time slot which allows time for assessment, discussion, treatment planning and any therapeutic intervention such as joint aspiration/injection. Most patients are referred back to the individual specialty clinics but where necessary follow up is continued in the combined clinic. All patients attending the clinic are invited to complete a satisfaction questionnaire and give written feedback.

Results We present our experience of the first year of this innovative clinic detailing the wide range of clinical problems encountered together with anonymous patient feedback. We also present trainee, nurse and consultant perspectives on the value of the combined clinic.

Conclusion Although there are many well established combined specialty clinics we believe this is the first report of a combined gastroenterology/rheumatology clinic. The patient feedback has been very positive with all patients finding the clinic of benefit. There are many other advantages including efficiency of patient management, reducing multiple attendances to specialty clinics, learning from each other and teaching of trainees and students.

Disclosure of Interest None Declared.

Reference

1. Brakenhoff LKPM, van der Heijde DM, Hommes DW. IBD and arthropathies: A practical approach to its diagnosis and management. Gut (2011). 60 (10); 1426–1435.