WORKING GROUPS

OMERACT Working Groups are collaborative teams advancing the science of outcome measurement in rheumatology and musculoskeletal health. Each group focuses on a specific disease, domain, or methodology—working together to develop and gain community endorsement of Core Outcome Sets that ensure research is scientifically sound and meaningful to patients.
OMERACT follows a bottom-up, consensus-driven process. Ideas for new Working Groups emerge from the community—clinicians, researchers, methodologists, and patient research partners (PRPs) who identify unmet needs in outcome measurement. Once formed, each group follows a structured pathway outlined in the OMERACT Handbook, which ensures rigour, transparency, and comparability across all projects.
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Disease-Specific Working Groups

  • These groups focus on particular diseases or anatomical areas. They define and standardize what should be measured in clinical trials and studies within that condition ensuring that outcomes reflect what truly matters to patients.
  • Examples include: Myositis • Sjögren’s Disease • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) • and more.
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Domain-Specific Working Groups

  • These groups look across diseases to study common aspects of health such as pain, fatigue, safety, and work productivity. Their work promotes harmonization across studies, making findings more comparable and generalizable.
  • Examples include: Pain • Safety • Glucocorticoid-Related Adverse Events • Worker Productivity
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Imaging & Biomarker Working Groups

  • These Working Groups focus on developing, validating, and standardizing outcome measures derived from imaging technologies and biological samples that can be used reliably in clinical trials and observational studies.
  • Examples include: MRI Task Force • Ultrasound • Synovial Tissue in RCTs
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Methods Working Groups

  • Methods Working Groups strengthen the foundation of OMERACT by improving how Core Outcome Sets are developed. They refine methods for domain selection, instrument evaluation, and meaningful patient engagement, ensuring all Working Groups apply consistent, transparent, and evidence-based approaches.
  • Examples include: Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity • Patient Engagement in OMERACT
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Bolt-On Working Groups

  • Bolt-On Working Groups develop add-on outcomes that can be integrated into existing Core Outcome Sets to address evolving research priorities and emerging concepts. Bolt-Ons expand and enhance existing frameworks rather than replacing them, allowing OMERACT to remain responsive and inclusive as science and patient experience evolve.
  • Examples include: Adherence • Shared Decision-Making (SDM)
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