Nearly 90 percent of patients with rheumatoid arthritis achieve a good treatment outcome.
Inflammatory rheumatic diseases include a wide range of joint and spinal diseases as well as systemic connective tissue diseases and vasculitides. The most common of these diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, undifferentiated arthritis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Without effective treatment, rheumatic diseases can cause irreversible joint damage and significant deterioration in work ability and functional capacity. Treatment outcomes have improved substantially over recent decades.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, nearly 90% had remission or low disease activity one year after treatment initiation. Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis is measured using the DAS28 score.
| Year | Remission | Low disease activity | Moderate disease activity | High disease activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 75,94% | 12,80% | 10,41% | 0,85% |
| 2017 | 72,42% | 13,87% | 12,52% | 1,18% |
| 2018 | 69,92% | 14,91% | 13,98% | 1,19% |
| 2019 | 70,90% | 12,69% | 15,17% | 1,24% |
| 2020 | 73,79% | 12,28% | 13,30% | 0,64% |
| 2021 | 70,98% | 16,20% | 12,60% | 0,22% |
| 2022 | 71,88% | 13,43% | 13,22% | 1,47% |
| 2023 | 75,06% | 12,08% | 11,86% | 1,00% |
| 2024 | 74,17% | 12,79% | 12,30% | 0,74% |
Nearly 75 percent of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis achieve a good treatment outcome.
One year after treatment initiation, approximately three out of four children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were in remission or had low disease activity. Treatment outcomes, inflammatory activity, and patient well being are assessed using the cJADAS10 (Clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score). According to research, cJADAS10 is predictive of patient well-being, functional capacity, and the risk of permanent disease-related damage.
| Year | Remission | Low disease activity | Moderate disease activity | High disease activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 47,00% | 21,20% | 27,19% | 4,61% |
| 2017 | 48,96% | 13,02% | 30,73% | 7,29% |
| 2018 | 47,34% | 19,03% | 26,99% | 6,64% |
| 2019 | 53,17% | 19,51% | 20,98% | 6,34% |
| 2020 | 53,40% | 18,55% | 22,62% | 5,43% |
| 2021 | 50,00% | 15,35% | 28,51% | 6,14% |
| 2022 | 55,41% | 16,88% | 23,38% | 4,33% |
| 2023 | 54,98% | 19,48% | 20,35% | 5,19% |
| 2024 | 55,85% | 18,61% | 23,94% | 1,60% |
About the data in more detail
Go to the report of the Finnish rheumatology quality register (in Finnish)
Reported indicators
- Treatment outcome in juvenile idiopathic arthritis approximately one year after treatment initiation, assessed with cJADAS10
- Treatment outcome in rheumatoid arthritis approximately one year after treatment initiation, assessed with DAS28
- Treatment outcome in psoriatic arthritis approximately one year after treatment initiation, assessed with cDAPSA
- Treatment outcome in axial spondyloarthritis approximately one year after treatment initiation, assessed with ASDAS and BASDAI
Background information
Source
Results report of the Finnish rheumatology quality register. THL. Report updated 7 May 2026. The dataset includes information up to 31 December 2025.
Description of the statistics
The Finnish rheumatology quality register contains data on approximately 173,000 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases. This report covers the following diagnoses: rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis, about 117,000 patients.
Results are reported at the national level and by wellbeing services county.
The coverage of data collected from specialised healthcare varies by region. The goal is to achieve high coverage throughout Finland.
Update schedule
The annual publication schedule for the register report is April-May.
Contact details
Development Manager
Contact person for the Finnish rheumatology quality register
tln. +358 29 524 7606
[email protected]
laaturekisterit(at)thl.fi