International Joint Recommendations to Address Specific Needs of Undiagnosed Rare Disease Patients

EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe, together with SWAN UK (the support group run by Genetic Alliance UK), the Wilhelm Foundation, Rare Voices Australia (RVA), the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD), the Advocacy Service for Rare and Intractable Diseases' stakeholders in Japan (ASrid) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) jointly submit a list of recommendations to address the specific needs of patients without a diagnosis urging all stakeholders to recognise undiagnosed patients as a specific population within the rare disease community.

Undiagnosed rare disease patients require the availability of a complete health and social care pathway in advance of receiving a diagnosis. Such care should promote their chances of receiving an accurate diagnosis in as efficient and timely way as possible, while ensuring that, until a diagnosis is made, they nevertheless receive the best possible health and social care.

These recommendations also highlight the importance of promoting ethical and responsible international data sharing to help inform a clinical diagnosis, accelerate research into novel conditions and provide insights into disease mechanisms. Furthermore, knowledge and information sharing among all stakeholders should be optimally coordinated and fostered so that patients can access appropriate resources in a timely and efficient manner.