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  • Innovationsfonds (G-BA)

Protocols on classification, monitoring and therapy in children’s rheumatology (ProKind)

The PRO-Kind-Consortium investigates the early pediatric rheumatology care of children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).

The aim is to analyze the extent to which the Treat-to-Target (T2T) recommendations of the Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (GKJR) are already being implemented in clinical practice and what treatment outcomes are achieved. To this end, more than 660 children and adolescents with JIA, SLE and JDM were included from 23 participating pediatric rheumatology centers and prospectively followed for about 12 months.

The follow-up project PRO-Kind-T2T is investigating whether the treat-to-target approach can have a positive long-term effect on the course of the disease and reduce the disease burden of JIA.

Both projects make a decisive contribution to the evidence-based further development of treatment guidelines for children and adolescents with JIA by the Pro-Kind Commission of the GKJR.

The main goal of PRO-Kind is to optimize early care in order to improve the long-term prognosis and life perspectives of affected children and adolescents.

Project duration

07/2019 – 12/2027

Head of project

Prof. Dr. med. Kirsten Minden

Programme Area 2, PA 2 – Epidemiology and Health Services Research

Group leader: Paediatric Rheumatology and Health services research

Liaison working group with Charité - Dep. of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine

minden@drfz.de

Results

PRO-Kind data show that the participating centers mostly applied the Treat-to-Target (T2T) principle in the treatment of JIA patients.

  • Better therapy outcomes: The structured T2T approach led to significantly better outcomes for JIA compared to non-structured routine treatment.
  • Harmonization of care: Consensus-based treatment protocols help to standardize care practices and promote early, targeted therapy.
  • Positive effects: The results suggest that consistent early therapy for polyarthritis and systemic arthritis (Still’s disease) can greatly improve the prognosis of these severe forms of JIA.
  • Diese Erkenntnisse unterstreichen die Bedeutung standardisierter Behandlungsansätze für die Zukunft der kinderrheumatologischen Versorgung.

These findings underscore the importance of standardized treatment approaches for the future of pediatric rheumatology care.

Published consensus-based protocols

Practice and consensus-based strategies in diagnosing and managing systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in Germany

Protocols on classification, monitoring and therapy in children’s rheumatology (PRO-KIND): results of the working group Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Protokolle zur Klassifikation, Überwachung und Therapie in der Kinderrheumatologie (PRO-KIND): Enthesitis-assoziierte Arthritis

Development of practice and consensus-based strategies including a treat-to-target approach for the management of moderate and severe juvenile dermatomyositis in Germany and Austria

Team

niewerth@drfz.de

tomuscheit@drfz.de

liedmann@drfz.de

nadine.groesch@drfz.de

The PRO-Kind consortium includes the RWTH Aachen University Hospital, the DRFZ, the Asklepios Clinic Sankt Augustin, and the University Hospital Münster.
Patient representatives from the German Rheumatism League are actively involved in the project. The consortium cooperates with 23 pediatric rheumatology centers.

Notes on the project:

All incident, treatment-naive patients with JIA can be included.

Procedures

The project is integrated into clinical routine care; separate visits are not required. After verbal and written informed consent has been obtained from the patients and/or legal guardians and the treating physician, a baseline questionnaire is completed when the patient is enrolled in the study. A follow-up questionnaire is completed by the adolescents and/or legal guardians and the treating physician every three months as part of the regular follow-up visits. Patients already included in PRO-KIND-Rheuma are further documented approximately every six months.

The questionnaires are then sent to the Kinderklinik St. Augustin by email, fax or post.

Erhebungsunterlagen Pro-Kind

AG Minden

Paediatric Rheumatology and Health Services Research
DRFZ Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie Arbeitsgruppe Minden