Patients and relatives

At the DRFZ, natural scientists, medical doctors and epidemiologists investigate the cause, development and consequences of rheumatic diseases. Although this research is done for patients, the DRFZ itself does not treat patients but is a mere research institute. As early diagnosis is important for the success of therapies, you should seek a referral to a rheumatologist in case of respective symptoms. Contacts are listet under InfoPoint.

The DRFZ is coordinating various long-term studies with large groups of patients. The data are used to investigate how well patients in Germany are cared for and how safe and effective new therapies are. Ongoing studies for children and adults are introduced on the following pages. Some information is only available in German.