Lucy talks to Dr Rebecca Stack, a Research Fellow in Health Research within the School of Immunity and Infection at the University of Birmingham, about patient decision-making and people's use of health services. With particular focus on rheumatoid arthritis, Rebecca looks at why people don't decide to seek help sooner after the emergence of new symptoms, such as joint pain, stiffness and swelling. As the first three months of symptom onset in rheumatoid arthritis are a crucial window of opportunity, with immediate treatment effectively turning off the inflammation process, it's vital that people seek help early. However, research shows that people spend that three-month window deliberating over whether their symptoms are serious enough to warrant a visit to their GP. But as rheumatoid arthritis can affect any age group - and affects 1% of the population - any symptoms in the hands and feet should be taken seriously.

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