Early diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis improves long-term outcomes and reduces or halts joint damage progression. However, delays at the patient and medical system levels remain a barrier to early diagnosis and therapy, despite the presence of early arthritis clinics designed to expedite treatment.
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Atzeni, F., Sarzi-Puttini, P. Why wait? Explaining delays in seeking therapy for early arthritis. Nat Rev Rheumatol 8, 190–191 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2012.24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2012.24
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