Projects in Progress

• Automated Dorsal Finger Fold Pattern Recognition on Real World Hand Photos as a Potential Digital Biomarker for the activity of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study lead: Thomas Hügle, SCQM project number: 2022_11, date accepted by Foundation Board: 05.08.2022
• Impact of Chondrocalcinosis on Rheumatoid Arthritis disease activity and drug response. Study lead: Tobias Manigold and Thomas Hügle, SCQM project number: 2022_16, date accepted by Foundation Board: 27.10.2022
• Mechanistic modelling-based prediction of humoral vaccine responses in immuno-modulated patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. Study lead: Christoph Berger (USZ) and Andrea Rubbert-Roth (KSSG), SCQM project number: 2022_17, date accepted by Foundation Board: 29.08.2022
• Impact of national treatment guidelines, schedules of reimbursement and gross domestic product on treatment outcomes in patients treated with b/tsDMARDs across European observational spondyloarthritis registries. Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ), SCQM project number: 2021_07, date accepted by Foundation Board: 22.07.2022
• Gender-attributable differences in patient reported outcome measures in axial spondyloarthritis. Study lead: Raphael Micheroli (USZ), SCQM project number: 2022_01, date accepted by Foundation Board: 22.07.2022
• Treatment retention in SpA patients assessed with methods for interval- censored time-to-event data. Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ), SCQM project number: 2021_11, date accepted by Foundation Board: 22.07.2022
• Patient reported outcomes, drug adherence and clinical effectiveness of secukinumab in patients with psoriatic arthritis and axial spondylarthritis up to 24 months: Results from the EuroSpA collaboration. Study lead: Burkhard Möller (Inselspital Bern), SCQM project number: 2021_03, date accepted by Foundation Board: 20.05.2022
• Understanding the heterogeneity in patient populations across EuroSpA registries - the role of national access and treatment guidelines. Study lead: Michael Nissen (HUG), SCQM project number: 2021_04, date accepted by Foundation Board: 20.05.2022
• Enthesitis in psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis: Pattern, risk factors, and effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors - A EuroSpA collaboration study. Study lead: Michael Nissen (HUG), SCQM project number: 2020_19, date accepted by Foundation Board: 20.05.2022
• Treatment of peripheral arthritis in the spondyloarthritides: Joint-specific response to TNF inhibitors? Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ), SCQM project number: 2020_20, date accepted by Foundation Board: 20.05.2022
• Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on patient selection and treatment outcomes in spondyloarthritis patients treated with b/tsDMARDs across Europe. Study lead: Kim Lauper, SCQM project number: 2021_13, date accepted by Foundation Board: 20.05.2022
• Analysis of immune-tolerance in individuals with pathogenic mutations in the immunoglobulin kappa (k) light chain. Study lead: Mike Recher/Diego Kyburz (USB), SCQM project number: 2021_12, date accepted by Foundation Board: 24.03.2022.
• Ultrasonographic differences of synovitis grade between joint locations in rheumatoid arthritis. Study lead: Raphael Micheroli (USZ) SCQM project number: 2021_15, date accepted by Foundation Board: 24.01.2022.
• Investigating drug-induced Chronic Kidney Disease using a pharmacogenomics approach in a multicentric framework Project: Study lead: Prof. Dr. Alexander Leichtle (Inselspital). SCQM project number: 2021_01, date accepted by foundation board: 30.07.21
• Is uveitis associated with a more severe axial disease phenotype in axial spondyloarthritis? : Study Lead: Adrian Ciurea, USZ. SCQM project number: 2021_02, accepted 30.04.2021
• EuroSpA Study D: Handling of missing component values in patient-reported outcomes. Study lead Switzerland: Michael Nissen, HUG, SCQM project number: 2020_11, date approved by foundation board: 26.04.2021.
• Real-world dynamics of anti-S1-binding antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases: Study Lead: Prof. Dr. Andrea Rubbert-Roth (KSSG). SCQM project number: 2020_17 accepted, 05.03.2021
• Sex and gender differences in response to biologics among patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Switzerland: Study lead: Prof. Dr. Andrea Burden (ETH Zurich). SCQM project number: 2020_16, accepted 25.01.2021
• Predictors for loss of productivity and the effect of b/tsDMARD treatment on loss of productivity in Swiss patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Study lead: Prof. Dr. Diego Kyburz (University hospital Basel). SCQM NR. 2019_16, Accepted 06.07.2020
• Psoriasis and Axial Involvement in Spondyloarthritis: Study lead: Prof. Dr. med. Adrian Ciurea (Department of Rheumatology; University Hospital Zurich). SCQM Nr. 2020_06, accepted 17.06.2020
• Effectiveness of Abatacept and alternative biologic antirheumatic agents according to the shared epitope: The EASE study: Study lead: Axel Finckh (HUG, Geneva). SCQM NR. 2020_04, Accepted 5. August 2020
• Prediction of erosions in RA by different modifications of the standard SONAR score: Study lead: Burkhard Moeller (Inselspital Bern), SCQM NR 2020_01, accepted 28.05.2020
• Impact of overweight/obesity on drug retention of interleukin-17 inhibitors axial spondyloarthritis: Study lead: Prof. Dr. med. Adrian Ciurea (Department of Rheumatology; University Hospital Zurich). SCQM NR. 2020_07, accepted 19.06.2020
• Psoriasis and Axial Involvement in Spondyloarthritis: Study lead: Prof. Dr. med. Adrian Ciurea (Department of Rheumatology; University Hospital Zurich). SCQM NR. 2020_06, accepted 19.06.2020
• Disruption of the treat-to-target treatment strategy for inflammatory rheumatic disease during the Covid-19 pandemic: Study lead: Prof. Dr. med. Adrian Ciurea (Department of Rheumatology; University Hospital Zurich). SCQM NR. 2020_05, accepted 19.06.2020
• The effectiveness of a therapeutic change in RA patients with radiographic progression despite low disease activity: Study lead: Rüdiger Müller, SCQM Nr.20_02, accepted 21.04.2020
• Comparative treatment effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis with and without concomitant Sjögren syndrome (CoRASS) - an observational cohort study: Study lead: Florian Kollert (Inselspital Bern), SCQM Nr. 2019_21, accepted 05.11.19
• Correlation between bone mineral density and disease duration in patients with rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Study lead: Rüdiger Müller (KSA, Aarau), SCQM Nr. 18_13, accepted 28.08.2019
• Characterising comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Europe: a multi-national federated analysis of big healthcare data: Study lead: Delphine Courvoisier (HUG, Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2019_14, accepted 30.07.2019
• Gender differences in Biologicals and targeted synthetic Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs in Spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ, Zurich), SCQM Nr. 2019_10, accepted 30.07.2019
• Quantifying the effects of lifestyle factors in relation to outcome from bDMARD therapy amongst patients with axSpA and PsA: Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ, Zurich), SCQM Nr. 2019_09, accepted 30.07.2019
• Real World effectiveness of baricitinib in the Swiss RA registry: Study lead: Axel Finckh (HUG, Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2019_12, accepted 30.07.2019
• Multimodal-based disease activity indices and risk of progression in rheumatoid arthritis: Study lead: Peter Mandl (Medizinische Universität Wien) & G. Tamborrini-Schütz (USB, Basel), SCQM Nr. 19_04, accepted 20.07.2019
• European collaborative analysis of real-world effectiveness of JAKinhibs versus anti-TNF agents and other bDMARDs (Jak-pot): Study lead: Axel Finckh (HUG, Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2019_11, accepted 25.06.2019
• Effectiveness of TNFi versus OMA biologics after JAKi in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Study lead: Diego Kyburz (USB, Basel), SCQM Nr. 2019_03, accepted 29.04.2019
• EuroSpA 5&6: Efficacy and retention of Secukinumab treatment in psoriatic arthriti and axial spondyloathritis: results from the EuroSpA collaboration. Study Lead: B. Möller (Inselspital, Bern), SCQM Nr. 2018_19
• Deep learning for the prediction of radiographic disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis. Study Lead: T. Hügle (CHUV, Lausanne), SCQM Nr. 2018_18
• Are Ankylosing Spondylitis and radiographic spondyloarthritis the same? Study Lead: A. Ciurea (USZ, Zürich), SCQM Nr. 2018_17
• SYSCID: Discovering new biomarkers by large “multi-omics” analysis to identify individuals in pre-clinical stages of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Study lead: A Finckh and C Lamacchia (University Hospital Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2019_08
• Descriptive analysis of European pregancy cohorts. Study lead: Frauke Foerger (Inselspital Bern), SCQM Nr. 2019_07
• The impact of body mass index on the effectiveness of in inflammatory rheumatic conditions: Study lead: Axel Finckh (HUG, Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2019_06
• REFiNE: Predicting the real-world effectiveness and safety of medical interventions. Study lead: A. Finckh and O. Efthimiou (University Hospital Geneva, ISPM Bern), SCQM Nr. 2019_01
• EuroSpA 5 & 6: Efficacy and retention of secukinumab treatment in psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis Study lead: Burkhard Moeller (Inselspital Bern), SCQM Nr. 2018_19
• Are ankylosing spondylitis and radiographic spondyloarthritis the same? Study lead: Study lead: Adrian Ciurea (USZ, Zurich), SCQM Nr. 2018_17
• Comparative efficacy of TNF-inhibitors versus other mode of action biological DMARDs in PsA - an observational study. Study lead: B Möller (Inselspital Bern), SCQM Nr. 2018_16
• Bone health of Swiss patients with psoriatic arthritis. Study lead: D. Dan (CHUV, Lausanne), SCQM Nr. 2018_09
• Translating humoral autoimmunity against apolipoprotein A-1 from an emerging CV risk factor to a cardiovascular risk stratification tool in rheumatic diseases. Study lead: N Vuilleumier (HUG, Geneva), SCQM Nr. 2018_07
• Evaluation of CD74 as a biomarker in early axSpA in the SCQM cohort. Study lead: A Ciurea (USZ, Zurich), SCQM Nr. 2018_06
• Drug retention of TNF-inhibitors, abatacept and tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis patietns: The role of baseline characteristics and impact of time-varying factors. Study lead: D. Courvoisier (HUG, Genevat), SCQM Nr. 2018_05
• Effect of rheumatoid arthritis treatments on the incidence of fragility /low trauma fracture. (Study lead: Bérengère Rozier Aubry), SCQM Nr. 2018_04
• Retention and effectiveness of TNF inhibitor treatment in axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: an analysis from the EuroSpA collaboration, (Study Lead: Michael Nissen), SCQM Nr. 2018_03
• Patient reported outcomes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis starting treatment with TNF inhibitors: an analysis from the EuroSpA collaboration, (Study Lead: Michael Nissen), SCQM Nr. 2018_02
• COmPASS II - Patient’s self-monitoring of disease activity of rheumatic diseases via WebApp - The influence of weather conditions on the disease activity of patients with RA, axSpA or PsA. (Study lead: Ulrich Walker), SCQM Nr. 2017_08
• COmPASS II - Patient’s self-monitoring of disease activity of rheumatic diseases via WebApp - Treatment response kinetics. (Study lead: Ulrich Walker), SCQM Nr. 2017_07
• COmPASS II - Patient’s self-monitoring of disease activity of rheumatic diseases via WebApp - Work productivity and absenteeism. (Study lead: Ulrich Walker), SCQM Nr. 2017_06
• COmPASS II - Patient’s self-monitoring of disease activity of rheumatic diseases via WebApp - Self-monitoring of disease activity and feedback to the patients and/or the physicians. (Study lead: Ulrich Walker), SCQM Nr. 2017_05
• COmPASS II - Patient’s self-monitoring of disease activity of rheumatic diseases via WebApp - Correlation with clinical data, fluctuation over time and flaring. (Study lead: Ulrich Walker), SCQM Nr. 2017_04
• To analyse patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for the occurrence of sicca symptoms (Study lead: Ruediger Mueller)
• Standardizing physical function outcomes across the rheumatic diseases; The development of a common metric for physical function (Study lead: Axel Finckh, Oude Voshaar)
• The influence of seropositivity on the effectiveness of biologic antirheumatic agents (Study lead: Axel Finckh)
• The Tocilizumab Collaboration of European Registries in RA (TOCERRA) – comparative effectiveness of tocilizumab (MADACTA) (Study lead: Cem Gabay)
• Tenosynovitis in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Prevalence, Determinants and Outcome of Tenosynovitis detected in the SONAR-Ultrasound examination in the SCQM Cohort. (Study lead: Giorgio Tamborrini)
• Analysis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and high radiographic progression (Study lead: Ruediger Mueller)
• Evolution of clinical and ultrasound measures of disease activity among RA treated patients in a large national real life cohort. (Study lead: Pascal Zufferey)
• Secukinumab and Ustekinumab in patients with axial spondyloarthritis and lack of response to TNF-inhibitors: an open-label observational study. (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Revisiting the “BASDAI>4” cut-off recommended by the ASAS for initiation of TNF-inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Predictors of radiographic damage of the sacroiliac joints (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Comparison between HLA-B27 positive and HLA-B27 negative patients in clinical presentation, clinical course and response to TNF-inhibition in the SCQM axial SpA cohort (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• NSAID intake in axial spondyloarthritis: Comparison of data collection by the physician (according to ASAS recommendations) versus patient (I-Dialog-App) (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Clinical course in patients with axial spondyloarthritis on conventional treatment (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• TofaSwiss - Real–world tolerability of tofacitinib in RA patients (Study lead: Jean Dudler)
• Analysis of fine anti-citrullinated peptide antibody specificities, anti-carbamylated peptide antibodies and genetic characteristics in psoriatic arthritis patients (Study lead : Michael J. Nissen)
• Dosage adjustment of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Does the type of TNF inhibitor switch (ETA-->MAB versus MAB-->ETA versus MAB-->MAB) influences treatment response to a second TNF inhibitor? (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea, accepted 22.11.2015)
• Prevalence of CPDD detected in hand x-ray of ccp negative vs ccp positive RA patients in the SCQM-RA Cohort (Study lead: Giorgio Tamborrini)
• Influence of fibromyalgia on disease activity, function and response to treatment with TNF inhibitors in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Impact of axial spondyloarthritis on work participation and the role of anti-TNF treatment (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Multiple adjusted analysis of response to treatment in radiographic versus non-radiographic axial SpA (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• GetReal: Mathematical modelling to predict relative effectiveness of biological and nonbiological DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis (Study lead: Axel Finckh)
• Reproductive factors as predictors of disease progression in rheumatoid arthritis patients (Study lead: Deshiré Alpízar Rodríguez)
• Women with axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Oral and parental methotrexate (MTX): Comparison in efficacy and safety with other DMARDs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (Study lead: Burkhard Möller)
• Regular exercise and functional outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Anemia and perceived disease burden in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• The role of sulfasalazine for peripheral arthritis in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• The effect of body mass index on the course of disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Coxitis in axial spondyloarthritis: frequency, determinants and outcome of inflammatory and post-inflammatory hip involvement in the SCQM-axSpA cohort (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Clinical and ultrasound evolution after one year of patients considered at baseline in clinical remission according to the DAS or the new ACR/EULAR criteria (Study lead: Pascal Zufferey)
• Analysis of fine ACPA specifities and genetic characteristics in RA patients (Study lead: Cem Gabay)
• Impact of enthesitis on quality of life in spondyloarthritis patients; an analysis of the Swiss clinical quality management (SCQM) database (Study lead: Rüdiger Müller)
• Effectiveness of sulfasalazine, leflunomide or ciclosporine in comparison to MTX as co-medication for newly established TNF antagonist treatment in psoriatic arthritis (Study lead: Rüdiger Müller)
• Do cigarette smoking habits influence the likelihood of responding to rituximab treatment in RA patients? (Study lead: Saedis Saevarsdottir)
• Prediction of erosions in RA by echographic signs of synovial hyperplasia and synovial hypervascularity (Study lead: Burkhard Möller)
• How low should you go? Towards personalized treatment targets in RA. (Study lead: Diego Kyburz, Universitätsspital Zürich, and Jaap Fransen, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre)
• Do patients fulfilling the imaging-arm of the ASAS axial spondyloarthritis classification criteria differ from patients fulfilling the clinical-arm within the SCQM axial SpA cohort? (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Diagnosis versus classification: Comparison of patients fulfilling the ASAS axial spondyloarthritis classification criteria and ASAS-negative patients in the SCQM axial SpA cohort (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Gender differences in the SCQM axial SpA cohort (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• Improvement of the diagnostic delay in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (Study lead: Adrian Ciurea)
• The prevalence of iron deficiency in RA - a cross sectional study (Study lead: Burkhard Möller)
• Pan-European database analysis of Abatacept Effectiveness Data (Study lead: Axel Finkh)
• Major cardiovascular events and their clinical and biological predictive markers in Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Psoriatic Arthritis: A Swiss Cohort Study (Study lead: Paola Chevallier). This study received the Abbott Price 2011.
• Are structural differences between anti-TNF agents associated with dissimilar rates of secondary loss of effectiveness and drug adjustments? (Study lead: Sophie Martin Du Pan and Axel Finckh)
• The impact of statins on structural bone damage in rheumatoid arthritis (Study lead: Axel Finckh)
• Predictors for duration of remission after discontinuation of biologics therapy (Study lead: Diego Kyburz).
• Determinants of radiographic progression over 4 years in the SCQM AS cohort (Study lead: Adian Ciurea).
• Determinants of Fatigue and response to treatment in the practice-based Swiss prospective obserational cohort of axial SpA patients SCQM AS (Study lead: Pascale Exer & Ulrich Weber)
• Frequency and determinants of osteoporosis in the practice-based Swiss prospective observational cohort of axial SpA patients SCQM AS (Study lead: Jürg Bernhard & Ulrich Weber)
• Does a Ratingen Score of >= 3 at disease onset define RA? (Study lead: Ruediger Mueller)