In rare and complex connective tissue diseases, patient partnership is essential to address diagnostic delays, fragmented care, unmet needs, and the research agenda. European Reference Network (ERN) ReCONNET, the network dedicated to rare and complex connective tissue diseases, has implemented a structured and transferable model of patient partnership. Patients contribute to every phase of research and care development: from identifying unmet needs to co-authoring scientific publications. Patient input also shapes educational initiatives and strategic planning. By institutionalising partnership through governance structures and shared decision-making processes, ERN ReCONNET shows that involving patients as equal stakeholders enhances the relevance, quality, and effect of activities. This Personal View was co-written with the direct partnership of authors with lived experience of rare and complex connective tissue diseases and reports a model that can be adapted to other rare diseases and rheumatological settings, promoting a culture of patient-centred innovation in health-care systems.

Engaging people with lived experience in research improves research quality, relevance, and translation. Yet, people with lived experience are infrequently engaged in rheumatology research even though they can make important contributions to research planning, implementation, interpretation, and dissemination. Engagement levels might include consulting (by providing perspectives on a single topic or problem), advising (via two-way interactions with researchers to make recommendations on one or more aspects of a study), or partnering (by engaging with researchers to make decisions together). Evidence on strategies for engaging people with lived experience, including the research stages during which engagement might be most meaningful, levels of engagement, and how to align specific purposes and activities, is limited. We review principles (defined roles and responsibilities, alignment of engagement purpose and activities, collaborative relationships between researchers and people with lived experience, and recognition of the contributions of people with lived experience) and considerations for specific approaches to engagement to guide researchers on how to meaningfully and effectively engage people with lived experience in rheumatology research.

To ensure that digital health applications reflect real-world needs and preferences, meaningful public and patient involvement is essential throughout the design process. However, existing patient and public involvement frameworks often fall short in guiding the fast-paced, iterative nature of digital health innovations. This study aimed to examine how patient and public involvement was embedded in the development and real-world testing of MyRA, a web-based self-monitoring application designed for and with people with rheumatoid arthritis, and explored the impact of this involvement.

Interferons (IFNs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the relationship between serum levels of IFN-α and IFN-γ and the clinical manifestations of RA, particularly regarding cardiovascular comorbidity, remains poorly established. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between serum concentrations of IFN-α and IFN-γ and the spectrum of disease manifestations in RA, with special attention to cardiovascular involvement.

To compare the proportion of patients in remission and low disease activity (LDA) between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

To evaluate the diagnostic yield of whole-exome sequencing (WES) vs targeted gene panel (TGP) testing in patients evaluated for autoinflammation at the Great Ormond Street Hospital Autoinflammation Centre of Excellence.

The aim of this study was to identify robust predictive markers which may help personalize tapering protocols, minimizing flare risk while optimizing long-term disease management in RA patients.

To compare the severity at diagnosis and disease activity during follow-up between juvenile (jDM) and adult-onset (aDM) dermatomyositis.

We aimed to evaluate the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) on symptom burden and opioid use in patients with fibromyalgia using real-world data.

There are several pressing reasons to re-examine shingles and strategies for its prevention through vaccination. Firstly, the UK has recently recommended the introduction of a national childhood varicella vaccination programme, and this may impact the epidemiology of shingles. Secondly, treatments for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases are increasingly targeting immunological pathways essential for antiviral defence. Thirdly, we now have access to a highly efficacious shingles vaccine. This review article will explore each of these developments in a way that is globally relevant, incorporating international recommendations.

People with SSc report pain from multiple sources. Objectives were to develop a tool to map sources of pain in SSc, determine characteristics of pain from different sources and understand pain management experiences.

The development of inflammatory arthritis after bariatric surgery has been sporadically reported, but systematic clinical and imaging descriptions remain limited. Understanding these postoperative inflammatory patterns is crucial, and this study examines the emergence and characteristics of spondyloarthritis following bariatric procedures.

Clinical trials aimed at preventing rheumatoid arthritis in individuals at risk have had variable results. The long-term outcomes of disease interception, however, are not known. We aimed to examine the long-term effect of therapeutic intervention, with emphasis on efficacy and safety.

Despite growing evidence supporting the benefits of physical activity in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), both clinicians and patients often remain cautious-particularly regarding higher intensities. Although exercise is universally recommended in international guidelines for these populations, it is frequently accompanied by warnings to engage only in moderate-intensity training. The primary objective of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness and safety of high-intensity, land-based exercise in patients with inflammatory rheumatic conditions, compared with usual care, no intervention, or low-intensity exercise. We aimed to determine whether high-intensity exercise leads to an increase in disease activity, pain intensity, or impairment of function.