Preliminary criteria for clinical remission for select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

To develop preliminary criteria for inactive disease and clinical remission for select categories of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and to decide what such clinical states should predict in terms of probability of disease recurrence.

A Delphi serial questionnaire consensus-formation approach was used initially to gather criteria in use by pediatric rheumatologists (PR) for defining clinical remission in oligoarticular (persistent and extended), rheumatoid factor (RF) positive and negative polyarticular, and systemic JIA. Results from sequential questionnaires provided an agenda for a nominal group technique (NGT) conference to reach consensus on unresolved questions.