ESR1 and rheumatoid arthritis: Of the 24 clinical features provided, GPs identified the following five as the most important in diagnosing RA (Fig. 2): small joint swelling (91% rated this 4 or 5 for importance, out of a possible 5), small joint pain (84% rated this 4 or 5 for importance), raised ESR/CRP (82% rated this 4 or 5 for importance), early morning stiffness >60 min (80% rated this 4 or 5 for importance) and symmetrical joint swelling (78% rated this 4 or 5 for importance).