The Rheumatology Clinic at the University Hospital in Heraklion-Crete is the reference center for systemic autoimmune diseases in the island of Crete and South Aegean. Our goal is to offer high quality health care to patients with rheumatic diseases, to promote the research in the field of autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases and also to train young physicians in the field.

It is the first autonomous University Rheumatology Clinic in Greece. It has a capacity of 12 beds, served by two rheumatologists of the National Health System and four fellows.

In order to meet the clinical and research needs we have trained 4 nurses in the care of chronic rheumatic patients.
The number of patients in the Clinic has markedly increased in the last 10 years. In 2017, we served 15.495 patients compared to 2.937 total visits in 2003!

In order to offer medical services of high standards, the Clinic has developed innovative activities such as:

1. Day-care unit for providing immunosuppressive and biological therapies (cytokine inhibitors, co-stimulation inhibitors (CTLA4lg), B-lymphocyte depletion).
2. Early arthritis clinic.
3. Dedicated outpatients’ clinics (SLE, systemic sclerosis, Spondylarthropathies, Family Mediterranean Fever, systemic vasculitis).
4. Application of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the daily clinical practice.
5. Application of capillaroscopy.

 

One of our main interests is the clinical research. For that purpose,

• we participate in clinical trials for innovative drugs (phase II-IV trials) and
• we have achieved collaboration with other scientific centres in Greece and abroad by taking part in epidemiological and pharmacoeconomics studies, in the registry of biological therapies and in the formulation of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of systemic autoimmune diseases.
• we are also organizing the data base for patients followed by our center (Registry)