Scleroderma Australia attended the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA) Annual Scientific Meeting on the Gold Coast, including the Joint Effort Collaborative Rheumatology Workshop, scientific sessions, poster tours, and future-focused streams. As Chair of the Board, I also had the honour of presenting the outcomes of Scleroderma Australia’s 20th Anniversary Workshop to both the ARA Board and the Australian Scleroderma Interest Group (ASIG) Board, providing an important opportunity to elevate community insights and priorities at a national level.

Key Themes and Insights

1. Strengthening Multidisciplinary, Integrated Care

A strong theme across the conference was the importance of coordinated, team-based care. Sessions highlighted:

• The complexity of diagnosing inflammatory diseases and the need for earlier, more accurate identification
• The value of integrating allied health, nursing, pharmacy and First Nations perspectives
• The effectiveness of collaborative, case-based learning in improving clinical decision-making

Takeaway: Multidisciplinary care is essential, particularly for complex and rare conditions such as scleroderma.

2. Elevating Patient-Centred Care and Lived Experience

There is growing emphasis on embedding the patient voice into care and system design:

• Increased use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to improve care quality
• Powerful insights highlighting gaps between clinical care and lived experience
• Recognition of lived experience as critical in shaping services and education

Takeaway: Lived experience must be embedded across healthcare design, delivery and policy.

3. Advances in Scleroderma Research and Care

Conference sessions and poster presentations highlighted ongoing research, including:

• Exploration of Vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) as a potential therapy for Raynaud phenomenon
• Improved screening pathways for pulmonary arterial hypertension in systemic sclerosis
• Continued focus on early detection, monitoring and improving patient outcomes

Emerging Australian researchers are contributing strongly to this work, with further insights to be shared through upcoming Scleroderma Australia communications.

4. Innovation in Models of Care

Practical, scalable innovations are improving patient access and system efficiency:

• Nurse-led and advanced practice clinics
• Allied health-led monitoring models
• Low-cost, between-visit patient support approaches
• Strategies to improve vaccination uptake and address barriers such as needle phobia

Takeaway: Small, targeted system changes can significantly improve patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency.

5. The Future of Healthcare: Digital, AI and Sustainability

Healthcare is undergoing rapid transformation:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Already reducing administrative burden and supporting clinical decision-making
• Digital health: Growing importance of accessible, evidence-based information to counter misinformation
• Climate and health: Increasing recognition of healthcare’s environmental impact and the need for sustainable models of care

Takeaway: Future healthcare will be shaped by technology, sustainability, and system-level innovation.

6. Growing Importance of Trusted Information

Patients are increasingly accessing health information online, creating both opportunities and risks.

Takeaway: As a national peak body, Scleroderma Australia plays a critical role in providing trusted, evidence-based information and countering misinformation.

7. Sector Engagement and Leadership

Scleroderma Australia used the conference as a platform to:

• Present to the ARA Board and ASIG Board
• Raise awareness of scleroderma priorities
• Strengthen relationships with key clinical and research leaders

8. Increasing Focus on Young People

There was notable interest from clinicians and researchers in:

• Young people living with scleroderma
• Transition from paediatric to adult care
• Gaps in age-appropriate services and support

Takeaway: This is an emerging priority area for future advocacy and program development.

9. Launch of the Australian Rheumatology Journal (ARJ)

An exciting development highlighted at the conference was the launch of the Australian Rheumatology Journal (ARJ). This new journal provides a dedicated national platform for showcasing Australian research, clinical innovation, and emerging evidence in rheumatology.

Opportunity:
The ARJ presents an important opportunity to:

• Increase the visibility of Australian scleroderma research
• Share best practice models of care and innovation
• Strengthen collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and the broader sector
• Amplify emerging voices, including early-career researchers

Scleroderma Australia will look to support and engage with this platform where appropriate, including opportunities to elevate research, lived experience perspectives, and sector insights relevant to our community.

Overall Reflections

Key themes across the conference included:

• A strong shift toward multidisciplinary, patient-centred care
• Increasing focus on practical, scalable innovation
• Rapid growth in digital health and AI
• The importance of lived experience in shaping better outcomes
• Emerging system challenges, including workforce pressures and climate impact

These insights will inform Scleroderma Australia’s strategic priorities, particularly in advocacy, service design, and strengthening partnerships across the rheumatology sector.