1. BACKGROUND JIA includes all chronic arthritis of unknown cause starting before the age of 16. JIA is the most common rheumatic disease of childhood, affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 Canadian children. Despite trends to more favorable outcomes, JIA continues to have disabling sequelae that reduce mobility, quality of life and future productivity, affecting the child, their families and society as a whole. After a diagnosis of JIA, families have many questions about the prognosis of their child, treatments that may be required and their potential side-effects. Despite numerous studies, our ability to answer these questions remains limited.