Dr Patel qualified at UKZN Medical school and went on to complete her training as a Specialist Physician and Rheumatologist. She served as the Deputy Head of Department in Rheumatology and the head of the clinical unit at Albert Luthuli hospital.
She has vast experience in the management of auto-immune connective tissue diseases and arthritis. Her special interests include the management of Systemic lupus erythematosus, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic arthritis and arthritis in HIV. She also has experience in clinical research having completed her MMed degree in haematological manifestations of SLE and is currently completing her doctorate in Rheumatological manifestations of HIV.
She advocates the “Treat to Target” approach in the management of arthritis, which encompasses early diagnosis using serological markers, thorough clinical assessment of disease severity and burden of disease, physical and psychological impact of the underlying arthritis and targeted therapies.
She is an experienced practitioner in the use of both synthetic and biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and advocates using these to reach early remission. She is a member of several advisory boards and is passionate about arthritis education and awareness. Her aim is to “Keep people Moving” using a holistic approach of medication, diet, exercise, mindfulness and physical therapies to achieve optimum outcomes. She works closely with allied health professionals including physiotherapists, biokineticists, occupational therapists and chiropractors in managing her patients.
