Your GP has referred your child to see a paediatric rheumatologist and you want an appointment?

Please fill out the Rheumatology Outpatient Clinics at the RCH form.

Unit aims

The aims of the Rheumatology Unit at The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH)/Murdoch Children's Research Institute are:

• To provide all children with rheumatic diseases access to a best practice model of care that meets the needs of the patients and their families.  
• To provide efficient and effective patient care that:
  • Improves quality of life 
  • Improves disease management 
  • Improves pain management 
  • Improves patients' knowledge about their disease
  • Improves access to paediatric rheumatology services in Victoria

The Rheumatology Model of Care

Paediatric Rheumatology encompasses a wide variety of inflammatory and non-inflammatory conditions of the musculoskeletal system (muscles and joints) as well as conditions of non-infectious multi-system inflammation.

The types of conditions cared for by the Rheumatology team are:

• Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)
• Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM)
• Vasculitis
• Hypermobility
• Connective tissue disease
• Scleroderma
• Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO)

The key components of the model of care are:

• A best practice model which is child-centred and family focused
• Delivered in a co-ordinated manner by a multidisciplinary team
• Encompassing: 
  • Disease management and physical therapy
  • Patient and family education and self management
  • Psychosocial support and intervention
  • Community Liaison
     
    

    Rheumatology best practice model of care