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and that study data concerning individuals and units would not be identifiable in the results. In order to recruit as broadly as possible, the invitation extended to all employees in the targeted professional groups who worked in specialized rheumatology practice at the time of the survey, and to those with a different organizational affiliation. The questionnaire was distributed as a web-based survey by e-mail. A first reminder was sent after 2-weeks and a second after another 2-weeks. All data were saved according to university protocol, which is designed to safeguard the personal details of participants. Personal information about the participant and unit was anonymous to the researchers. The survey was distributed to the work e-mail addresses of 1168 practitioners employed in rheumatology during April and May 2015. Subsequent e-mail communications from work units and participants indicated that many of the addresses were not functioning. A back-check by telephone and e-mail with work units participating in the study showed that some addresses belonged to participants who no longer worked in rheumatology or did not belong to the professions targeted in the study. By comparing the original lists with current personnel information in several work units, we found grounds for estimating that 20% (234) of the addresses were erroneous. This reasoning resulted in an estimated total population of 933 practitioners. Of the remaining 933 persons with a functioning work e-mail address, 306 responded; 294 belonged to the professional groups targeted in this study. One respondent was identified as an outlier (on grounds of response inconsistencies) and excluded from our analyses (Figure 1). professionals with an explicit scientific base for their practice: occupational therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, physicians, and nurses. Although members of these professional groups usually have various organizational affiliations in the hospital, collaboration between team members is taken for granted based on long tradition in Swedish rheumatology units. Local variations determine the composition of teams and their allocated resources and work scope. Assistant nurses and administrative personnel were not included because their training has not traditionally included a scientific curriculum. Participants not currently working in clinical practice were also excluded. The project received approval from an ethics committee in Linköping, Sweden (Dnr 2012/142-31). Study design and questionnaire A cross-sectional observational design was used and data were gathered using a questionnaire. Instruments and items were selected to address the research aim. Consideration was also given to ensuring that the questionnaire was suitable for the study population that the instruments and items had acceptable measurement properties, and the burden on respondents was limited. All instruments were translated into Swedish by means of a forward and backward translation process and tested for acceptability, clarity and cultural applicability in a sample of the target study population. The questionnaire was pilot tested by a sample of participants (n = 12) who were representative of all the professions included in the study. Information was gathered on the perceived time necessary for completion of the questionnaire. Several changes were made to produce a questionnaire that had linguistic and conceptual equivalence to the original instruments as well as acceptability for participants. Demographic data were collected on the participants’ age, sex, work experience and experience in rheumatology, postgraduate education, experience of research activity, their role in the clinic (e.g.,
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