The Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry: A unique population in rheumatoid arthritis research

Background: As the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S., the Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a unique context for the conduct of clinical and clinical-translational research in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Objectives: To review attributes of the VA Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry (RA) and highlight its research contributions. Findings: With >3,600 participants enrolled from 19 VA medical centers across the U.S., VARA includes longitudinally collected clinical data and a central biorepository that includes serum, plasma, and DNA collected at enrollment. VARA research capacity is enhanced via active linkages with internal data including the VA's Corporate Data Warehouse and elements captured during oncology care. This capacity is further enabled via active linkages with the National Death Index and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data. Conclusion: As a highly unique study population with comprehensive data annotation available to researchers, VARA is poised to continue address impactful questions in RA for years to come.