• Next Webinar: Starting a Biologic Medication
• What have we been up to?
• Get Involved!
• Useful Resources

Next Webinar: Starting a Biologic Medication

Join us for a free webinar on the journey of starting a biologic medication for arthritis—from discussing treatment options with a rheumatologist to enrolling in a Patient Support Program (PSP). Hear perspectives from Megan Friedman (educator and person living with Connective Tissue Disease), Dr. Quinn Grundy (nurse-researcher), and Dr. Alexandra Legge (rheumatologist) on what patients can expect and how PSPs support access, education, and care. Live captions will be available in French and English.

Register for this free webinar today!

What have we been up to?

Have you heard? CAPA recently shared insights on a wide range of public health and health policy issues to support transparency and patient-centred decision-making. We have shared patient perspectives on the following:

• Health Canada’s proposal to remove the reconsideration process
• Sarilumab (Kevzara) for polymyalgia rheumatica  patient input submission for British Columbia Pharmacare
• Choice for protein-based COVID-19 vaccines for people with autoimmune arthritis who can’t tolerate or don’t wish to receive mRNA vaccines
• Decentralized clinical trials guidance developed by Health Canada (signed on to submission by Clinical Trials Ontario
• Feedback on Canada’s Drug Agency Consultation on Improvements to the Drug Reimbursement Review Process

You can also read past policy submissions on the CAPA website.

Later this month, CAPA members Kelly-Maude Amaral and Laurie Proulx will present at the Arthritis Health Professions Association virtual pre-course meeting on strengthening support for Francophones living with arthritis. Learn more about the meeting and the AHPA on their website!

CAPA Board member Lucy Kovalova-Woods and Patient Partner in Research Linda Hunter presented a poster titled “A Practical Framework for Meaningful Patient Partner Engagement in Clinical Trials” at the Clinical Trials Symposium in February. The poster outlines practical approaches to patient engagement including accessibility, reciprocity, and operational integration. Check out the poster on the CAPA website!

CAPA community members, including our Atlantic Canada based President Linda Wilhelm, will be at the Canadian Rheumatology Association meeting in Halifax. They will be presenting two posters about our projects including “In Their Own Words: Patient Experiences with Patient Support Programs” and “Hacking Arthritis: Innovation and Adaptation in Daily Life”.

Get Involved

Researchers with the Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA) program at the Institute for Work & Health are looking to speak with young adults with episodic disabilities (such as juvenile arthritis, IBD, depression, or anxiety) to take part in a study on transitions to work and career development.  Participants will complete three interviews over 24 months and receive $100 per interview. Learn more and find out how to participate on the IDEA project website.

Have a topic you’d like to discuss or write about living with or supporting people with arthritis? Consider writing a short blog for our website. Reach out to our Managing Director, Laurie Proulx, to pitch your idea!

Help shape 2S/LGBTQQIA+ pain research in Canada! Share your chronic pain experience through an anonymous survey. Your input will inform the co-development of research questions that reflect community needs. Learn more & participate by visiting the SHAPE Plus Pain website.

Useful Resources

The Canadian Rheumatology Association – the organization representing rheumatologists across Canada – issued a position statement on criteria access for targeted advanced therapies for rheumatoid arthritis in Canada.  Learn more about their efforts to standardize access to advanced therapies and to align them to clinical practice guidelines.

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Clinical Trials Ontario released a blog post by Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, about how clinical trials need to catch up and include women. Learn more in this short blog!

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