LAUSR

> ‘The main aim of evidence-based treatment recommendations and guidelines are to translate findings from health research into clinical practice. When implemented successfully these should improve quality of care and lead to improved health outcomes.’1 This issue of the journal contains the latest update of the European League Against Rheumatism, Rheumatoid Arthrits (EULAR RA) management recommendations as well as the efficacy and safety systematic literature reviews representing an enormous amount of work by a dedicated team. As we enter a new decade, it is timely to consider the utility and worth of this extensive endeavour. RA management guidelines have been popular for the last two and a half decades and have recently undergone meta-analysis.2 EULAR committee defined in 2004 the standard operating procedures required to tackle such a task.3 A number of aspects need highlighting. These are ‘recommendations’ and not ‘guidelines’—the latter having medicolegal implications particularly as much of the advice is based on expert opinion in the absence of appropriate clinical trials and further the level of agreement while high is rarely unanimous. The …