Emirates Society for Rheumatology Invites Patients to Present at Doctors' Meeting for the First-time - Abu Dhabi, May 20
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Arthritis patients took the stage for the first-time at a medical meeting last weekend to teach doctors about the disease from their point of view, as part of a new initiative by the Emirates Society for Rheumatology (ESR), part of the Emirates Medical Association, which aims to form stronger partnerships between healthcare professionals and patients.
The ESR meeting in Abu Dhabi was attended by around 35 delegates who heard a presentation from Katrina Thornley who has had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for 27 years - since she was two years old - and is Patient Support Director of the Emirates Arthritis Foundation (EAF). Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the joints causing joint deformity and progressive physical disablility; it affects one percent of white adult populations in Europe and the US, according to latest World Health Organisation data (1).
Katrina's talk detailed the experience of being diagnosed with a chronic disease and how arthritis impacts a person's daily life physically, emotionally and psychologically, and highlighted the barriers faced by those living with a life-long disease in the UAE, such as difficulty navigating the healthcare system and cultural taboos around illness.
"Having patients stand up and speak to doctors at a medical education event about their disease experience is a milestone for both sides. By collaborating in this way and pooling our knowledge and resources we aim to forge stronger links between healthcare professionals and patients that will in turn improve the management of arthritis across the UAE," said Dr. Mustafa Al Maini, President of the ESR.
"Many people think arthritis is a disease of the elderly but I was two when I was diagnosed and I am now 29 - it is a young person's disease. By speaking to doctors we hope to highlight how we live our lives, especially here in the UAE, so they can better understand what it is like to live with arthritis," said Katrina.
Rheumatology patients will be invited to speak and listen at seven further ESR meetings taking place across the UAE throughout the rest of the year. The events traditionally target practicing rheumatologist but have been expanded by the ESR to give primary care doctors and non-rheumatology specialists the chance to learn about the latest treatments for a range of rheumatologic diseases.
"This scheme is part of our new medical education programme that means whenever ESR meets we will make a slot available for patients to interact with rheumatologists. We will be having meetings across the UAE that will support local doctors in keeping up-to-date with their practice," added Dr. Al Maini.
Doctors are also being urged to refer patients to the EAF for access to resources, advice and support from the group that includes 1,500 arthritis sufferers who understand what it's like to live with arthritis and are happy to talk through difficulties and experiences.
"The EAF's aim is to raise awareness of arthritis by giving sufferers a voice and part of that is helping to alert doctors from all specialties that the society exists and can offer support to patients who often feel isolated when they move to the UAE," added Katrina.
Reference:
- World Health Organisation Report: The global Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Year 2000. http://www.who.int/healthinfo/statistics/bod_rheumatoidarthritis.pdf
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