Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria: It's Finally Time to Move on‪!‬

Unlike other chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of RA. (1) Clinical diagnosis often relies on the overall opinion of the evaluating clinician, whose "gut" feeling or general "gestalt" of a disease pattern must be derived from clinical and personal experience. It is, thus, not surprising that attempts to create criteria that replicate the process of diagnostic evaluation must embrace multiple components, including patient history, symptom elicitation, physical examination, and selective supporting laboratory and radiographic data. History of RA Classification Criteria