For more than a decade there is a fruitful collaboration in the region of Utrecht between our department and rheumatology departments in the surrounding general hospitals. The participants are organized in the Early Utrecht Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort study group (EURAC; formerly called SRU, Stichting Reumaonderzoek Utrecht), whose task it is to perform treatment strategy studies. In this regard, all patients with early RA (disease duration <1 year) have been included since 1990 in these treatment strategy studies (more than 1000 patients) and the enrolment is still going on. Thus far, these cohorts have led to 3 PhD theses in a row (Heijde vd A, Jaarsveld C, and Verstappen S) followed by a 4th (by Bakker M).
1 = UMC Utrecht
2 = St. Antonius Nieuwegein
3 = Diakonessenhuis Utrecht
4 = Meander MC Amersfoort / Baarn
5 = Tergooi ziekenhuis Hilversum
6 = St. Jansdal Harderwijk
7 = Zuwe Hofpoort Woerden
8 = Flevoziekenhuis Almere