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Day 3: #CRArthritis interviews from this year’s CRA & AHPA Annual Scientific Meeting

Day 3: #CRArthritis interviews from this year’s CRA & AHPA Annual Scientific Meeting

Welcome to the third day of the #ASM24 meeting!

Below is a summary of the interviews we are sharing today. Our guests include Drs Janet Pope, Daniel Vis, Stephanie Garner, Alan Zhou, Vandana Ahluwalia, Ms. Amorell Saunders N’Daw, Ms. Natasha Trehan, and Ms. Emilie Pianarosa. 

Interview 12 – Testing for the right things and research updates in arthritis with Dr. Janet Pope

Dr. Pope, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and also Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Western Ontario, discusses about testing for the right things in people living with arthritis. She shares how the guidelines outlined in Choosing Wisely Canada can help, along with open communication between rheumatologist and patient, can contribute to shared decision making and improved health outcomes. She concludes by providing some arthritis research updates.

Interview 13 – The emerging adult with rheumatic disease: What adult rheumatologists need to know with Ms. Natasha Trehan, Dr. Michelle Batthish, and Dr. Stephanie Garner

This #CRArthritis features Natasha Trehan, person living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and Founder of Take a Pain Check Foundation, Dr. Michelle Batthish, pediatric rheumatologist at McMaster Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Stephanie Garner, Adult Rheumatologist at the University of Calgary. Together, the trio defines what the emerging adult is and highlights the challenges that may arise in the transition from pediatric rheumatology care to adult rheumatology care.

Interview 14 – Cross-cultural communication: Embracing the diversity of your rheumatologist patients with Dr. Alan Zhou and Ms. Amorell Saunders N’Daw

Arthritis Consumer Experts’ National Survey findings reveal that Black, Indigenous Peoples and people of colour (BIPOC) respondents face significantly greater barriers when accessing arthritis care, and when they do, benefit less from their interactions.

Amorell Saunders N'Daw is a trained journalist and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) advocate. Dr. Zhou is a Rheumatology Resident at the University of Toronto. He works in the Division of Adult Rheumatology at University Health Network's Toronto Western Hospital. Together, they discuss how rheumatologists can ensure patients’ cultural backgrounds and beliefs are respected and integrated into their clinical practice and strategies to overcome language barriers and ensure clear communication with patients from diverse backgrounds.

Interview 15 – Optimizing care for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease utilizing ACPAC-trained clinicians with Dr. Vandana Ahluwalia

Dr. Ahluwalia speaks to Kelly Lendvoy on how including an Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care (ACPAC) trained professionals can help to address gaps in patient care. ACPAC is an academic and clinical training program developed to prepare experienced physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors and nurses in the assessment and management of arthritis.

Dr. Ahluwalia heads the Rheumatology Division of the William Osler Health Centre in Brampton, Ontario. She sees patients in her Brampton community practice as well as in the combined Rheumatology/Orthopedics MSK clinic at Brampton Civic Hospital. She is also actively involved in clinical trials and studies related to inflammatory arthritis and has co-authored various articles within this therapeutic area.

Interview 16 – Reducing avoidable care use and improving care experience: A focus on emergency department use by person with inflammatory arthritis with Ms. Emilie Pianarosa

Emilie joins Kelly Lendvoy to preview her workshop. Emilie is a second-year medical student at the University of Calgary, building on a solid foundation in Life Sciences with a thesis in Epidemiology from Queen's University and a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Toronto.

Her research study helps us understand the primary factors influencing the decision of people with inflammatory arthritis (IA) to seek care in the emergency department and reports on the care experience they experienced and challenges they faced in the emergency department. Her study concludes with key recommendations to reduce avoidable emergency department visits by individuals with IA.

Interview 17 – Practical lessons in sarcoidosis management with Dr. Daniel Vis

Dr. Vis speaks to Kelly Lendvoy about sarcoidosis management. Sarcoidosis is a disease characterized by the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells in any part of the body — most commonly the lungs and lymph nodes. But it can also affect the eyes, skin, heart and other organs.

Dr. Vis is a clinical lecturer of medicine at the University of Calgary. He also sees patients at South Health Campus Pulmonary Diagnostics division. There he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of many ailments and diseases affecting the lungs and respiratory system as a whole.