The following is a preview of the letter to be mailed out to clinicians describing the RAPID

clinician educator and iPhone app. We hope to send this out by mid-February.

Dear Colleague:

As a primary care provider you play an essential role in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis
(RA) and the long-term comanagement of RA patients with rheumatologists and other health care
professionals. Early referral to a rheumatologist to start therapy with disease-modifying
antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) has been shown to improve patient outcomes in all aspects of the
disease, including both articular and extraarticular complications.

The enclosed clinician educator is a part of the Rheumatoid Arthritis: Primary care Initiative for
improved Diagnosis and outcomes (RAPID) program. This initiative is aimed at improving the
care of RA patients through increased recognition of the symptoms of early RA in primary care
and by reinforcing best practices for the long-term management of RA patients. This clinician
educator is designed to be a practical reference guide for use in your medical office. Side A
presents an overview of RA and lists the signs of early RA to aid in early detection. Side B is
designed for patients and should help you discuss the disease with your patients.

You can obtain CME credit for this clinician educator by completing the posttest and evaluation,
which can be accessed at (URL TBD) or by scanning the QR code provided. You can download a
free barcode reader app for your smartphone by searching for QR CODE SCANNER in the iPhone
App Store, Android Market, or Blackberry App World.

An interactive version of this clinician educator is available as an iPhone app and includes video
demonstrations of the squeeze test, patient perspectives on the role of primary care in RA
management, and dialogs between rheumatologists and primary care physicians regarding
patient care. To download the iPhone app, visit (URL TBD) or scan the QR code.

Your commitment to patient care is crucial to improving early RA detection in the primary care
setting and to decreasing patients’ long-term disability. We are confident you will find the
enclosed RAPID clinician educator useful in your daily practice.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Weinblatt, MD
John R. and Eileen K Riedman Professor of Medicine
Co-Director, Clinical Rheumatology
Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

Lauren G. Collins, MD
Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania