JointHealth™ podcast - Evidenced Based Information on Arthritis

Topics of discussion include: Becoming a research scientist; Dr. Lacaille's work at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada; Dr. Lacaille's work at the Canadian Arthritis Network; Looking to the future of arthritis research in Canada; 2007 YWCA Women of Distinction Award finalist.

Topics discussed with Dr. Shojania include: The challenge of getting diagnosed; The impact of the diagnosis; Accepting ones diagnosis; Learning about ones treatment options; The basics about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) - when do they get used and why, what do they not do; The basics about disease modifying anti-rheumatic medications (DMARDs) - Start early, be aggressive concept, a brief description of methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine, and how they are used alone and in combination, other DMARDs used if the above list of medications are ineffective; Biologic response modifiers - description of each of the five available; Adalimumab (Humira) - what it is, how it is given; Etanercept (Enbrel) - what it is, how it is given; Infliximab (Remicade) - what it is, how it is given; Abatacept (Orencia) - what it is, how it is given; Rituximab (Rituxan) - what it is, how it is given; Overcoming the fear of taking medications, including side effects - discussion about the social stigma of having to take medications; Monitoring for side effects delivers peace of mind; Adjusting ones treatment path along the way; Living life - the good, the bad, the ugly, the good.

Gordon Whitehead is a consumer advocate living with rheumatoid arthritis. This 60 minute program is intended to give the consumer/public listener an overview of the following: Learning about the Alliance for the Canadian Arthritis Program. Who is the Alliance? Why create an alliance? What has the Alliance accomplished since it formed?; National standards for arthritis prevention and care: developing 12 standards to improve the lives of Canadians living with arthritis. What are the priority standards? 1. Every Canadian must be aware of arthritis. 2. All relevant health professionals must be able to perform a valid, standardized, age-appropriate musculoskeletal screening assessment. 3. Every Canadian with arthritis must have timely and equal access to appropriate medications. How does the Alliance plan to implement the priority standards?

Ms. Jay Fiddler is a consumer advocate who lives with Stills disease. This 48 minute program provides the listener with an overview of the different ways that people with arthritis can participate in health research decision-making. Topics covered include the following: How people with arthritis participating in arthritis research decision-making improves its relevance, How people with arthritis can become involved in arthritis research - what are the different areas to get involved in, Empowering and enabling people with arthritis to participate in research decision-making and the entire process of discovery and getting information about research out to the public, How to sustain the effective participation of people with arthritis in arthritis research decision-making.

Dr. Lacaille is Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology Department of Medicine, UBC. She is an award-winning researcher and frequent conference speaker. Dr. Lacaille was the recipient of a Canadian Arthritis Network grant to develop a population-based registry of people with rheumatoid arthritis in BC, and has also won scholarships from the Vancouver Hospital Research Foundation and national awards for her novel research on work disability due to arthritis. This 30 minute program provides the consumer/public listener with a good understanding about the challenges arthritis poses for the working person, and offers practical solutions for how to manage the disease in the work setting, including work in the home. Topics include: Common work-related challenges brought on by inflammatory arthritis (work interruptions, having to take days off due to inflammatory arthritis, difficulty managing work responsibilities, length of ones work day, having to use vacation time to manage arthritis, inability to take on new projects, inability to seek promotion or new job), depression (impact at work, how to deal with it at work), how to talk about arthritis with employers (understanding employment law, presenting ones case to an employer, developing a work support system, managing expectations at work), self-employment for people with arthritis.

Dr. Linda Li is an Assistant Professor at the School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia. In 2006, she was the first rehabilitation professional appointed to the role of Harold Robinson / Arthritis Society Chair in Arthritic Diseases. This 40 minute program provides the consumer/public listener with information on the benefits of exercise and arthritis. Topics include: General exercise benefits (heart/lungs, weight loss/weight maintenance, strength, inflammation, pain, self-esteem), benefits of exercise for RA, AS, PsA, OA (types of safe exercise for the person with arthritis, protecting ones joints during exercise, preparing to exercise safely (joint protection, warm up/cool down, etc.), after exercise strategies to prevent joint pain and stiffness).

Dr. Shojania is a leader in the field of rheumatology. His research specialty is the efficacy of different medications on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This 35 minute program provides the consumer/public listener with an overview of the various aspects of an evidence-based treatment plan for inflammatory arthritis, including the following topics: Overview of an evidence-based treatment plan. Different treatments for different ages, genders, life circumstances. Advancements in the understanding of the role of medications in the treatment of inflammatory arthritis. Overview of: DMARDs, biologic DMARDs, anti-inflammatories and steroids, combination therapies. Having a meaningful conversation with your rheumatologist about medication treatments. Learning about side effects. How to assess risk of short or long term side effects and the benefits of a given medication. Risks of un-treated or under-treated inflammatory arthritis.

Dr. John Esdaile is Professor and Head, Division of Rheumatology Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia. He is an internationally respected rheumatologist who spearheaded the creation of the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada. This program provides the listener with an overview of arthritis research, including the following topics: What is arthritis research and who benefits from it. Where arthritis research is conducted in Canada. The need for increased funding for arthritis research. Latest arthritis research developments in the following areas: Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus.