Thank you for your interest in joining INDB research!

The International Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases is a research data bank for the study of arthritis and rheumatic conditions. By rheumatic conditions, we mean rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), fibromyalgia, lupus, polymyositis, low back pain, tendonitis, and many other problems- anything that you would see a rheumatologist or joint specialist about. Please CLICK HERE for a complete list of rheumatic diseases.

The INDB project collects data on rheumatic conditions directly from persons who have these problems. The goals of the project are to advance knowledge about the causes, outcomes, costs, treatments, and results of treatments related to rheumatic conditions. Another important goal of the INDB project is to stimulate research and study by health professionals by making INDB data available for medical research.

Every six months more than 10,000 people contribute to this important research by volunteering approximately an hour of their time to answer questions about their condition and how it affects their lives. This is done online or with paper questionnaires sent in the mail.

By participating in the INDB you'll be making a very important contribution to the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Enrolling may take up to 30 minutes.

How to get started:

  1. Visit our enrollment page. You'll be asked to provide consent to participate in the research.
  2. The consent form will explain how we respect your privacy, and how the information you provide will be used.
  3. After consenting, you'll begin the enrollment forms. We'll ask for your contact information and other ways we can reach you if necessary.
  4. Then you'll move on to four pages of questions about your condition, which medications you are taking and have taken in the past, and your general state of health.
  5. That's it. You're almost done. Look in your email for confirmation of your enrollment.
  6. Depending on when you sign up, it may be a few months before you get your first WebQuest questionnaire. Look for an email with the link.
  7. If you use a service like Yahoo, AOL, Earthlink or other web-based email services, please add webquest@arthritis-research.org to your e-mail address book. Doing so will let your service know that we are not sending you spam. Thanks!

Click here to Enroll Now!

See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.