How do I participate?

Taking part in the A3BC is voluntary and designed to be flexible and participant‑led. You can choose what you take part in, how often you participate, and can change your mind at any time.

Participation usually follows the steps below.

1. Check your eligibility here

A3BC includes children and adults with inflammatory arthritis, autoimmune disease, related conditions, and selected comparator participants.

Eligibility is ideally confirmed in discussion with your treating rheumatologist or specialist, but you can also contact the A3BC team directly if you are unsure.

2. Give permission for the A3BC to contact you

Before consent can be completed, we need your permission to contact you. This can happen in one of two ways:

Clinician referral

Your rheumatologist or specialist can complete an A3BC Permission to Contact (PTC) form with you during a clinic visit.

Self‑referral

You can complete an online A3BC Self‑Referral Permission to Contact (PTC) form yourself here.

  • NOTE: For children or young people aged under 25, with a childhood rheumatic disease:
    • Complete the AJAR Enrolment form here instead.
    • The AJAR Enrolment form includes your A3BC self‑referral, so you do not need to complete the A3BC Self‑Referral PTC form separately.

If you self‑refer, an A3BC staff member will contact your listed rheumatologist or specialist to confirm your diagnosis. This ensures all diagnoses are verified by an appropriately qualified health professional before enrolment.

Please note: the time between providing Permission to Contact and completing consent may vary depending on site approvals, staffing and funding. You can check current recruitment status on the site map or contact the A3BC team for updates.

3. Provide informed consent

Once eligibility and permission to contact are confirmed, you will be invited to provide informed consent to join the A3BC.
Consent can be completed either in person or remotely, depending on your preference and local arrangements.

In person

You (or a parent/guardian) review the Participant Information Sheet and complete the consent form with a research team member during a clinic visit.

Remote (electronic consent)

You (or a parent/guardian) receive a secure email link to the electronic A3BC Participant Information Sheet and Consent Form and complete it on your own device.

On the consent form, you can choose:

  • Which parts of the study you wish to take part in (e.g. questionnaires, samples, data linkage)
  • Whether participation is one‑off or ongoing
  • Whether you are happy to be contacted about future studies

After consenting, and depending on your choices, you may be sent your first questionnaire and contacted to arrange any sample collection.

Consent forms used in A3BC

The A3BC uses age‑appropriate consent forms, not different forms for different types of samples or “control” participation.

Adults (18 years and over)

Adult Participant Information Sheet & Consent Form

  • Used for all adult participants (with or without a diagnosis)
  • Covers questionnaires, biospecimens and optional data linkage
  • Participants who joined A3BC as children are re‑consented at age 18

Children and adolescents

Children under 14 years

  • Parent or guardian completes the Child (Under 14 Years) Parent/Guardian Consent Form

Children aged 14 to under 18 years

  • Parent/guardian completes the Child (14–18 Years) Parent/Guardian Consent Form
  • The child completes a Child (14–18 Years) Child Consent Form to allow access to Services Australia (Medicare‑related) data

Special pathway: children and young people with JIA and other childhood rheumatic diseases

Children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may be offered participation through the Australian Juvenile Arthritis Registry (AJAR) as an initial, lower‑burden entry point.

Where appropriate, families may then be invited to extend participation into the longitudinal A3BC registry and biobank, using the same consent process described above.

This staged approach helps reduce burden while allowing families to choose their level of involvement.

4. What happens next?

Depending on your consent choices, participation may include:

  • Biospecimen collection
    (e.g. blood, saliva, stool, tissue linked to clinical care)
  • Online questionnaires
    about symptoms, treatments, quality of life, lifestyle and wellbeing
  • Secure health data linkage
    to hospital, state and Commonwealth datasets, if you choose

You can find more detail in the FAQ sections:

5. Questions or need help?

If your local clinic is not listed, or if you are unsure how to participate, you can still contact the A3BC team directly:
📧 info@a3bc.org.au