Arthritis Broadcast Network ranked #5 on Feedspot’s Top 20 Arthritis YouTube channels to Follow
Thanks to our growing audience, Arthritis Broadcast Network (ABN) – powered by Arthritis Consumer Experts – has the most videos and views on a Canadian channel!
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On Feedspot’s list, ABN has the most videos and views on a Canadian channel – a total of 200 videos and 242,489 views!
Arthritis Broadcast Network’s channel provides information about the different types of arthritis, pain management, self-care, exercise, nutrition, models of care, patient engagement, research, and many other topics valuable to the arthritis community. Please show your support and help others living with arthritis by doing the following:
In Arthritis Consumer Experts’ (ACE) latest issue of JointHealth™ insight, we explore what “building bridges” – the theme to this year’s Canadian Rheumatology Association and Arthritis Health Professions Association Annual Scientific Meeting – means to arthritis patients and health care providers. To help you, we have prepared a curated guide to a selection of #CRArthritis interviews, outlining key points covered during the event.
Among the topics of interest to patients, the interviews provide information on:
Building bridges between patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and allied health professionals
Osteoarthritis
Kids and arthritis
Working with arthritis
Targeted specific research
Medications
Mental health and arthritis
Hot topics from arthritis patient organizations
Models of arthritis care
All interviews can be accessed through YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. To turn on French subtitles, please adjust the YouTube settings for each interview.
You can participate if you are a person living with or a caregiver of someone living with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
Research Objective Pain Studies Lab at Simon Fraser University is seeking participants above 45 years old for a study on a mobile health application.
What do I have to do in the study? The study will take about 2 hours to complete. You will be shown a mobile application meant to measure and track arthritis, and you will be asked questions about the usability of this application. There will also be an open-ended section to discuss your opinions about the application.
You will receive $40 as appreciation for your effort and time after completing the study.
How to participate? To participate, you must be:
Above 45 years old;
The person or the caregiver of the person who has a diagnosis of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis;
Using a smartphone in your daily life, such as using one or more Apps regularly;
Able to communicate in verbal and written English.
Interested? Have questions? For more information or to book your appointment, please feel free to contact us: Weina Jin Telephone/text: 604-603-8530 Email: weinaj@sfu.ca
The general election in Prince Edward Island is scheduled for April 23, 2019. What changes would you like to see in models of arthritis care?
Arthritis is a chronic disease that has a devastating and debilitating effect on the lives of more than 6 million Canadians. More than 25,000 Prince Edward Island residents are living with arthritis – approximately one in five. Within a generation, more than one in four Islanders are expected to have the most disabling and life-threatening types – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability and work disability in P.E.I., with nearly three out of every five people with arthritis of working age.
Considering the prevalence of the disease and its significant cost to individuals and society, arthritis should be an issue of great importance to candidates running for office.
ACE sent an open letter and a survey to candidates running in the Prince Edward Island election. As part of its core government outreach activities and in the spirit of non-partisanship, ACE asks each candidate to share how government can improve prevention, treatment and care in Prince Edward Island.
The questionnaire asked the following questions:
What will your government do to bring a high quality, standardized evidence-based model of arthritis care for all Prince Edward Island residents?
What will your government do to introduce patient education and exercise programs, such as GLA:D, that have been proven to significantly reduce hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms?
What will your government do to improve the uptake of biosimilars and increase accessibility to life saving medications and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Prince Edward Island residents living with inflammatory arthritis?
What will your government do to improve the healthcare and lives of Aboriginals living with arthritis in Prince Edward Island?
How will your government establish better prevention programs and facilitate flexible work arrangements to help reduce the direct and indirect costs of arthritis to Prince Edward Island employers and the Prince Edward Island economy?
Will your government take steps to increase the number of rheumatologists and trained arthritis professionals to ensure timely, specialized care for Prince Edward Island patients with arthritis?
ACE will be collecting Party and individual candidate’s responses. Responses will be posted on the Prince Edward Island Election 2019 page as we receive them.
If you have comments, questions, or concerns about any of the answers provided, please take the time to contact the parties.
Did their responses help you decide how you will vote? Tell us what you think of their answers. Please contact us by email.
For some individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA), their
rheumatologist or family doctor may recommend a knee replacement if other forms
of treatment have not improved the joint’s ability to function or failed to
prevent further joint damage. A knee replacement is a surgical procedure in
which parts of the joint are replaced with artificial material to restore
function and ultimately reduce pain. In some cases, where both knees are
severely affected, patients might consider getting both knees replaced during
the same surgery, a procedure known as a bilateral knee replacement.
A recent story published in MedPage Today, and featured in RheumNow, explored the mixed evidence and experience related to bilateral knee replacement.
Advantages
The primary advantage to getting a combined surgery is that there
is only one hospital stay and one recovery/rehabilitation period for both
knees. This means less time off work, in pain and needing supportive care. In
addition, the combined procedure often costs less for the patient and the
provider than having them done at different times. In 2016, the Canadian
Institute for Health Information (CIHI) found that the overall cost of the
simultaneous procedure was $20,800 compared to $23,700 for two separate
procedures. In Canada, knee replacement surgery, hospital stay and post-surgery
care (such as physiotherapy) are covered by provincial healthcare plans. Due to
the nature of the healthcare system in the United States, the reduced cost of
surgery can make a significant difference for patients.
Caregivers play an important role throughout the inflammatory arthritis models of care. The nurse at your doctor’s office serves as a first line of contact between you and your doctor. Your partner and family members at home provide physical and emotional support – be it helping you with groceries, taking you to your doctor’s appointment, or listening to your concerns about your treatment therapies. On Caregiver Day, we want to thank you to all the caregivers who are providing care worldwide. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of patients living with arthritis!
What is an inflammatory arthritis model of care?
“Models of care are very important for chronic diseases such as inflammatory arthritis because they facilitate early efficient diagnosis and delivery of holistic health care services, help in the realignment of existing resources to optimize health system efficiencies, and identify the need for new resources. Arthritis patients require an integrated team-based approach to care that includes a number of health care providers over a period of time.”
Dr. Diane Mosher, Professor of Medicine and the Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Calgary
What changes would you like to see in models of arthritis care?
Arthritis is a chronic disease that has a devastating and debilitating effect on the lives of more than 6 million Canadians. According to the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, more than 500,000 Albertans are living with arthritis – approximately one in five. Within a generation, more than one in four Albertans is expected to have the most disabling and life-threatening types – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Arthritis is the leading cause of disability and work disability in Alberta, with nearly three out of every five people with arthritis of working age, costing Alberta’s economy $3.3 billion in direct and indirect costs.
Considering the prevalence of the disease and its significant cost to individuals and society, arthritis should be an issue of great importance to candidates running for office.
ACE sent an open letter and a survey to candidates running in the Alberta election. As part of its core government outreach activities and in the spirit of non-partisanship, ACE outlines the impact of arthritis in Alberta and asks each candidate to share how government can improve prevention, treatment and care in Alberta.
The questionnaire asked the following questions:
What will your government do to bring a high quality, standardized evidence-based model of arthritis care for all Alberta residents?
What will your government do to introduce patient education and exercise programs, such as GLA:D, that have been proven to significantly reduce hip or knee osteoarthritis symptoms?
What will your government do to improve the uptake of biosimilars and increase accessibility to life saving medications and reduce out-of-pocket costs for Alberta residents living with inflammatory arthritis?
What will your government do to improve the healthcare and lives of Aboriginals living with arthritis in Alberta?
How will your government establish better prevention programs and facilitate flexible work arrangements to help reduce the direct and indirect costs of arthritis to Alberta employers and the Alberta economy?
Will your government take steps to increase the number of rheumatologists and trained arthritis professionals to ensure timely, specialized care for Alberta patients with arthritis?
ACE will be collecting Party and individual candidate’s responses. Responses will be posted on the Alberta Election 2019 page as we receive them.
If you have comments, questions, or concerns about any of the answers provided, please take the time to contact the parties.
Did their responses help you decide how you will vote? Tell us what you think of their answers. Please contact us by email.
A recent study has shown exciting new benefits associated with exercise for people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina found that 10 weeks of high-intensity interval walk training was associated with decreased disease activity and improved immune function for adults with RA. High-intensity interval walk training refers to a popular form of exercise that includes short bursts of fast-paced walking at maximum effort followed by less intense recovery periods.
The study included twelve physically inactive adults over the age of 55, with a confirmed diagnosis of RA. Participants completed a 10-week program consisting of 3x 30-minute sessions a week of supervised treadmill walking. This Included a 5-minute warm up and 5-minute cool down. Within the training session, participants walked at 80-90% of their maximum effort in intervals of 60 to 90 seconds. These high-intensity intervals were followed by recovery intervals at 50-60% maximum effort. Speed and interval times varied for each person based on a cardiorespitory fitness test, but none exceeded walking pace.
Disease activity was assessed by a rheumatologist through a count of swollen and tender joints, perceived general health and blood tests to measure inflammation. Cardiovascular fitness and immune functions were assessed using a variety of clinical and laboratory tests, as well as standardized questionnaires. At the end of the 10 weeks, the following outcomes were observed:
RA disease activity reduced by 38%, with a significant decrease in swollen joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and improved self-perceived health. An ESR blood test measures the rate at which red blood cells settle in the period of one hour, revealing inflammatory activity in the body.
Improved immune functions suggesting a reduced infection risk and inflammatory potential
Cardiorespitory fitness increased by 9%
Resting blood pressure and heart rate both reduced
There is a substantial amount of research on exercise and rheumatoid arthritis, but few studies have reported the actual lowering of disease activity scores. As stated by the researchers, this study suggests that,
“High intensity interval walking could be an efficient, tolerable, and highly effective intervention to augment disease activity and improve overall health in patients with RA.”
There are certain limitations to the study such as the small sample size and no control group, but the findings will hopefully encourage more research in the area. In addition, these findings add to a growing body of research on the benefits of exercise for people with arthritis. To learn more about the study, click here.
To learn more about physical activity and arthritis visit the following pages:
Mental Health and arthritis: a complex relationship
In the latest issue of JointHealth™ insight, Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) reports on the important relationship between mental health and arthritis. People with inflammatory arthritis are more likely to experience mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and “brain fog” than the general population.
This issue of JointHealth™ insight will cover the following:
Relationships between depression, “brain fog” and inflammatory arthritis
Burden of depression
Recognizing and managing depression and anxiety
Prevent depression and anxiety
Love, sex, and arthritis*
*Please be advised that the content in this section contain graphics of “joint friendly” positions during sex and may not be appropriate for you or others in your household. The graphics are excerpted from the book, “Rheumatoid Arthritis: Plan to Win”, by Cheryl Koehn, Dr. John Esdaile and Taysha Palmer published by Oxford University Press, 2002.
In recent years, public and private health organizations in
Canada have invested in digital health technologies as a way to improve patient
experiences, outcomes and quality of care.
According to Valuing
Canadians’ Secure Access to Their Health Information and Digital Health e-Services,
a study commissioned by Canada
Health Infoway, there are four main types of digital health services:
e-View –
Secure online platforms that allow citizens to access their personal health
information
e-Visit
– A patient e-service that allows patients and/or their caregivers the ability to
communicate with their healthcare team through secure e-mail or SMS messaging
Virtual
visit – A patient e-service that allows patients and/or their caregivers the
ability to meet with their health care provider via a face-to-face virtual
encounter, through functions such as video calls
e-Rx Renew – A patient e-service that allows
patients and/or their caregivers to renew prescriptions
What are the benefits
of digital health?
Digital health is beneficial for health systems and
Canadians, particularly those living with arthritis. For example, digital
health services allow you to:
Avoid or reduce in-person visits to a healthcare provider’s office, helping you conserve energy and avoid prolonged periods of sitting in the car or public transit.
Increase productivity at work, as you are not taking time off work to see your healthcare provider.
Renew prescriptions online and see a history of past prescriptions.
Access care faster in rural and remote communities.
Access your digital health records, such as lab results. Many people with an inflammatory arthritis who are on a biologic or methotrexate get monthly blood tests. Monitoring these test results helps track disease activity and check that medications are not causing any issues.
In 2018, Canada Health Infoway conducted a national study on the value of digital health technology and found that Canadians collectively save $119 to $150 million every year from their use of virtual care and e-Services. Health systems save $106 to $134 million by reducing administration costs and helping Canadians avoid unnecessary in-person appointments, trips to the emergency room and medical errors.
How can I access
these services?
The Connecting Patients for Better Health: 2018 report provides the latest availability, use and citizen interest in accessing their health information online as well as digitally enabled health services (e-services). The report is based on the results of four public opinion surveys conducted between February and March 2014 – 2018. There is an increased demand for digital health services. The number of people surveyed who accessed medical records electronically doubled, from 7% in 2016 to 15% in 2018.
Canada Health Infoway, a non-profit agency sponsored by the federal government, is working towards improving access to digital health services in Canada. Many health care centres are also working independently to provide their patients with online services. Consider asking the receptionist to see if any e-services are available at your healthcare provider’s office. Here are some examples of digital health services currently available in Canada:
e-View
In some provinces, patients have access to their medical records and or lab results online:
Arthritis ID is an app for patients that provides information to help detect, treat and manage arthritis. There is an interactive arthritis screening tool and questionnaire that will help you determine indications of a type of arthritis.
JointHealth™ Medications Guide enables patients to have a meaningful conversation with their rheumatologist and pharmacist about available therapy options, side effects and route of administration.
JointHealth™ Education courses help people living with arthritis learn to have more meaningful, fact-based conversations with their rheumatologists, other health care team members, families, friends and employers.
The Biosim•Exchange is an information hub for consumers to get the latest biosimilars news to help patients learn more biosimilars and their place among inflammatory arthritis treatments.
Arthritis Research Canada’s ANSWER: Decision Aid for Patientsaim to help you decide if methotrexate is the right treatment option for you. You should use this tool only if you have rheumatoid arthritis and if your doctor has suggested methotrexate as a treatment option.
Share your favourite “go to websites for physical activity information and guidance
A team of health and fitness professionals, researchers and patients partners from throughout BC have worked together to create a repository of online resources to guide and motivate people living with chronic health conditions to be physically active. To help them finalize their soon to be launched Physical Activity Support Kit Initiative (PASKI) website, they’re asking people with arthritis and other chronic conditions to take their 1-minute survey. Share your favourite “go to websites” for physical activity information and guidance. Survey closes February 8, 2019.
