The ART of ordering: Analysis of Rheumatological Tests

Rheumatic diseases are a broad range of chronic conditions that affect the immune system. They can be hard to diagnose because there is no single diagnostic test. My PhD addresses the impact of repeating autoantibody tests for the diagnosis of rheumatic diseases and established disease. I found minimal benefit in repeating tests for the diagnosis of new rheumatic diseases unless patients had evolving clinical features. However, in established disease for example systemic lupus erythematosus, I found there is a role for serial monitoring of anti-dsDNA to predict flare.