The multi-faceted educational program addresses the public’s need to better understand the causes, impact and options for managing the broad spectrum of rheumatologic diseases. More than 52 million Americans — young and old — live with sometimes painful, and potentially debilitating rheumatic diseases.
Raising disease awareness and supporting patients and their families are core goals for the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center (TARC) and the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance (which is managed by TARC). For that reason, these organizations are participating in the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) first annual Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, which is shedding much-needed light on a broad range of more than 100 diseases, including arthritis, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, gout, and many others.
Unfortunately, the symptoms and treatment of rheumatologic diseases can sometimes be complex and difficult to understand. The public awareness month addresses these issues via ACR’s ongoing campaign called, “Hundreds of Diseases. One Voice,” which provides educational content, as well as a variety of tools and resources.
Patients and their families who wish to learn more about osteoarthritis – both now and throughout the year – may access the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance’s website to participate in Twitter chats, listen to experts during free Lunch & Learn sessions, receive informative and inspirational emails, and subscribe to educational newsletters. Meanwhile, the Thurston Arthritis Research Center continues to leverage advanced research to investigate the causes and consequences of arthritis, autoimmune diseases and allergies, as well as care for patients while training tomorrow’s leading healthcare practitioners.