Welcome to

Our New Patient Partners!

We are pleased to welcome and announce that we have recruited nine patient partners to the introductory training program and fourteen patient partners to the intermediate/advanced training program. We launched these training programs during the summer of 2023 with the goal of better supporting and matching patient partners, or people with lived experience of research, to research and other projects. Learn more about our participants here!

What have we been up to?

Rx for Success: Why Patient Partners Matter – CAPA Vice President, Dawn Richards, was on Episode 75 of the Take a Pain Check Podcast where she talked about getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and being in clinical remission. She also discusses her life both as a researcher and a patient partner in research.

Poster presentation at the American College of Rheumatology Convergence Meeting – On November 13th, CAPA and the Take a Pain Check Foundation shared their poster: “Voices Unheard: Unmasking the Hidden Challenges of Youth with Rheumatic Diseases” on the current state of mental health and mental health-related needs of youth with rheumatic diseases..

CADTH submission – Thanks to everyone who completed surveys about living with Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis we were able to develop submissions to the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) to consider as part of their review of bimekizumab. We will be working on policy submissions on the Canada Disability Benefit and Patented Medicine Prices Review Board – feel free to reach out with any feedback or questions regarding these submissions.

Rheum for Your Mind workshop recordings available – We held two mental health workshops with the Take a Pain Check Foundation last month about mental health and rheumatic disease. The videos featuring pediatric rheumatologist, Dr. Andrea Knight; clinical psychologist, Dr. Katie Birnie; and social services worker, Pamela Jarvis are now available to watch on YouTube.

Get Involved!

Stay Informed

New CATCH videos are available! – The Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) has several new videos on various topics like managing flares, preventing infections, vaccines, sex differences in RA, women’s health, and intimacy and pregnancy. Visit their website to find resources and more.

Webinar on work for young adults living with a disability – An IWH research team led by Dr. Arif Jetha set out to examine how working life could change in Canada over the next seven years—and what the implications might be for young adults with a disability. The team developed three scenarios that describe the ways things might change in the future. Watch the webinar here!

The costs of making a home accessible homes – CAPA member Linda Roy and her husband Jerry, are two New Brunswickers with disabilities who found renovating their home to make it more accessible to be expensive. Their experience highlights the financial reality that many disabled people face when trying to make their lives more accessible. Read the CBC article to learn more about their experience.