In 1996, rheumatologists of the university hospital Zürich (Prof. Dr. med. Gerold Stucki, Dr. med. Thomas Langenegger, Dr. med. Adrian Forster and Prof. Dr. med. Beat Michel) started a registry for rheumatoid arthritis with the support of Dutch colleagues.  The goal of this registry was the comprehensive quality management  in rheumatoid arthritis. Initially, the project was financially supported by the university hospital of Zürich. Further financial contributions were made by the federal committee of rheumatic diseases (Eidgenössische Rheumakommission) and later on by pharmaceutical companies, who currently cover the majority of the running business costs of the foundation with their yearly contributions.

Right from the start of the registry for rheumatoid Arthritis, x-ray images of hands and feet of the patients were stored in the data-base. This long-term x-ray data together with the individual feed-back. that is generated for the treating rheumatologist, makes this registry unique amongst international rheumatology registries.

Between 2000 and 2003 the inclusion numbers grew strongly. Therefore, a better organisational and political support for the project became necessary. In 2003, the SCQM Foundation for Rheumatoid Arthritis was founded, under the umbrella of the Swiss Society of Rheumatology (SGR). The foundation was registered at the Commercial Registry (Handelsregister) of the canton of Zürich and at the federal supervision of foundations in Bern (eidgenössischen Stiftungsaufsicht). Amongst the founders of the SCQM foundation were a the SGR and representatives of 21 Swiss rheumatology clinics and a representative of the Rheumaliga Schweiz.

When the SCQM Foundation was founded, the idea to extend it with two further cohorts already existed. A working group under the lead of Dr. med. U. Weber developed the questionnaires for ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) with international support of ASAS members. The data collection for AS was started in 2005. Data collection for the PsA cohort started in 2006, but the digital data base for PsA is still under developmental. PsA data evaluation will start as soon as the PsA data base is operative.

To allow for the extension of the registry with further cohorts, the name of the foundation was altered to and registered under SCQM Foundation in Rheumatic Diseases in the year 2008.