Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of study cohort (=18 participants)

Gender

14 women, 4 men

Age range, mean and median

Range: 21–70 years, mean: 49 years, median: 50 years

Self-described ethnicity

1 Asian; 1 Black African; 1 Black British;1 British Bengali; 1 Caribbean; 1 Columbian; 11 White British/English; 1 Welsh

Employment status

Employed full-time x 2; employed part-time x 2; self-employed x1; student fulltime x1; housewife x 2; retired x5; unemployed x5.

Registered disabled

Yes: 12; No: 6

Range of year of diagnosis (median)

1966-2011 (2007)

Early RA (<2 years)/established RA (> 2 years)

8 patients/10 patients

Receipt of combined DMARDs/combined DMARDs & biologic treatment

13 patients/5 patients with RA

Range of duration of combined treatment (median)

4 - 96 months (36 months)