Rheumatology

Presentation

Introduction

The Rheumatology Service responds to the specialised care needs of the citizens from Bellvitge University Hospital’s area of influence. The Service acts as a reference point for complex [tertiary] pathology in the surrounding hospitals, while carrying out the teaching and research activities inherent to a university centre.

The healthcare activity revolves around the totality of rheumatology, the speciality dedicated to the medical disorders of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. It includes entities of high prevalence and great social importance such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, chronic inflammatory diseases with the capacity to cause important structural damage, such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis, as well as disorders with a marked systemic component, such as vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma.

We attach great importance to the patient's perspective. We firmly believe that for a therapeutic strategy to work properly, it is essential that the patient, informed about his or her illness and the different treatment options available, is decisively involved in the decision-making process. We take a holistic view of our patients, taking care of their physical ailments, providing them with emotional support and striving for their full social integration.

The care provision is made up of a hospitalisation area, an outpatient area, a complementary examinations cabinet and a multi-purpose day hospital.

Relevant aspects

  • Initial rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Axial spondyloarthritis
  • Systemic autoimmune diseases

  • Patient education
  • Support in the care of patients with inflammatory diseases
  • Support in the evaluation and control of comorbidities.
  • Follow-up of biological therapies.

  • Bone densitometry.
  • Vertebral morphometry 
  • Trabecular Bone Score. 3D Shaper.
  • Whole body Densitometry. - Musculoskeletal ultrasound
  • Ecointerventionism
  • Joint and periarticular infiltrations
  • Videocapillaroscopy

Fracture Liaison Service 

Functional Unit of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (UFMAS)

Research

The research that is carried out is articulated through the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL). It has managed to form its own group and obtain the recognition of the Institute’s Scientific Direction.

The Service’s research group is called “GEISMO: Grup d'Estudi d'Inflamació Sinovial i Metabolisme Ossi (Study Group on Synovial Inflammation and Bone Metabolism). It is attached to the line of Translational Medicine of IDIBELL, in the area of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Systemic Diseases and Cellular Ageing. The group has 9 researchers and performs a very satisfactory activity considering its size, with publication of more than 10 articles per year, often in journals of the first quartile of the specialty. A large part of the research activity is oriented towards the completion of doctoral theses. The service's research lines are as follows:

- Giant Cell Arteritis

- Rheumatoid arthritis

- Spondyloarthritis

- Systemic autoimmune diseases

- Osteoporosis

The service has active competitive projects and participates in projects of working groups of the Catalan Society of Rheumatology, the Spanish Society of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR). In addition, it participates in clinical trials (research contracts) promoted by the pharmaceutical industry.

Education

The teaching activity of the service has two aspects, one of academic nature (undergraduate and postgraduate) and one of specialised training (MIR Programme).

Five members of the service are lecturers, two permanent (one professor and one associate professor) and three associate lecturers. They are attached to the Department of Clinical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona.

The Service participates, fundamentally, in the theoretical and practical teaching of the subject "Orthopaedics and Rheumatology" of the Degree in Medicine, although it also has an active presence in other subjects of this degree such as "General Semiology and Clinical Paediatrics" and "Hospital Supervised Practices". Likewise, it is also active in the courses of Podiatry ("General Pathology") and the University of Experience ("Basic Medicine"). The Service has an accredited speciality ("Diagnostic Imaging in Rheumatic Diseases") in the "Master's Degree in Advanced Medical Skills", official master of the postgraduate programme of the University of Barcelona.

The teaching staff teaches in the Bellvitge Campus lecture theatre and in the service's care areas, in a friendly manner, using active learning methodologies and ensuring at all times that students acquire the specific and cross-cutting skills inherent to the practice of rheumatology.

Four Service professors are accredited to direct and/or tutor theses within the framework of the "Doctoral Programme in Medicine and Translational Research of the University of Barcelona.

The Service has a long tradition in the field of specialised training. Since practically the beginning of the programme, it has been accredited by the National Commission for the Specialty of Rheumatology to train residents through the MIR system (2 per year). Former residents of the HUB form part of the staff of more than 30 hospitals throughout the country and even abroad.

It has three accredited tutors. Resident training is supervised, with progressive acquisition of responsibilities and following a pre-established training itinerary. Tutors and residents meet periodically to conduct structured interviews and thus evaluate progress in the skill acquisition. There are three elements of the Service's specialised training that have a clear differential value:

a) The possibility of carrying out a three-month international rotation during the last year of the residency, with funding from the Service's teaching and research funds. This rotation is an opportunity for the resident to increase their transversal skills and specific knowledge by joining renowned benchmark services. In addition, it enables them to obtain an international doctorate if they choose to complete their thesis.

b) The possibility of taking the Master's Degree in Advanced Medical Skills at the University of Barcelona (specialising in "Diagnostic Imaging in Rheumatic Diseases") during the last year of residency, with funding from the Service's teaching and research funds.

c) The possibility of carrying out during the year immediately after the residency, at the expense of the research and teaching funds of the service, an extension of the stay (6 - 12 months) to deepen in some area of knowledge and, especially, to carry out the field work of the doctoral thesis and / or to complete the curriculum with new publications.

Residents of Family and Community Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Internal Medicine also rotate through the Rheumatology Department.

Location

Outpatient area External Consultations of the Bellvitge University Hospital | Module 15 

c/ Feixa Llarga, sn.

08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. Barcelona

Hospitalization area Main Building of the Bellvitge University Hospital | Floor 10-2

c/ Feixa Llarga, sn.

08907 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. Barcelona

Telephone number 93 260 75 72

consultadereumatologia@bellvitge.cat

 

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