General Rheumatology Clinic

Patients who attend the General Rheumatology Clinic require routine clinic visits to monitor how they are doing and if changes to treatment are needed. Patients are often on medical treatment that requires close monitoring to assess for efficacy and safety. 

What to bring: 

• Immunization record 
• Clothing for your child to wear to allow for a full physical exam (T-shirt/tank top and shorts). 
• Pen/paper 

Important pre-appointment instructions: 

If there are any special pre-appointment instructions you will be contacted by clinic staff prior to your visit and provided with full details. 

Directions: 

The Rheumatology Clinic is found in Clinic 9. The waiting and registration area is in the Burton Wing in Room M100. 

From the University Avenue entrance, walk right, down the hallway and turn down the first hallway on your left. We are the first clinic you will find on the right side of the hall. 

From the Elizabeth Street entrance and parking garage elevators, walk west along Main Street towards Shoppers Drug Mart. At the Family Centre turn left. At the end of this hallway you will find our registration and waiting area in front of you. 

Appointments generally last at least one to two and a half hours, and while we do our best to be as efficient as possible, sometimes the waiting time is beyond our control.

Once in the General Rheumatology Clinic, you will register your child at the desk and be given a short questionnaire to fill out (Child Health Assessment Questionnaire or CHAQ). This will provide us with a snapshot of how your child is feeling and how his or her physical function has been in the past week. 

When a clinic room is available your child will be called in for an assessment which includes, your child’s weight, height and blood pressure; review of current medications (if any); and your child’s current physical status. A physician trainee or advanced therapist practitioner will complete a full review and exam. This will be followed by a review with the staff physician and a discussion of your child’s plan of care. This may include starting new or changing current medications, blood tests, urine testing and/or imaging (X-rays). 

If necessary, you may also meet with other members of the health-care team. This team includes nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietitians, and social work professionals. Each member plays an important role in patient/family assessment, education, support and follow-up.

Referrals to other services at SickKids, such as Orthopaedic Surgery, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Endocrinology and Psychiatry, may be recommended. 

More information: 

Visit Division of Rheumatology 

Schedule

Monday

• 1 to 5 p.m.
• Weekly: General Rheumatology (Drs. Laxer, Tse, Spiegel)
• Monthly: Juvenile Spondyloarthritis (Dr. Tse)

Tuesday

• 1 to 5 p.m.
• Weekly: General Rheumatology (Dr. Spiegel)
• Alternating weeks: General Rheumatology, Dermatomyositis Clinic (Dr. Feldman)
• Monthly: Morphea Clinic (Dr. Laxer)

Wednesday

• 10 am. to 5 p.m. weekly: Lupus (Drs. Harvey, Hebert, Levy, Silverman)
• 1 to 5 p.m. alternating weeks: Systemic JIA (Dr. Schneider), Autoinflammatory and General Rheumatology (Laxer)

Thursday

• 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekly: General Rheumatology (Drs. Spiegel, Tse)
• 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. alternating weeks: Systemic Vasculitis (Drs. Laxer, Yeung)
• 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.: NLE Clinic (Dr. Silverman)

Friday

• 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Weekly: General Rheumatology (Drs. Cameron, Schneider)
• Alternating weeks: General Rheumatology (Dr. Levy)