Final Report
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Getting A Grip Publications
A series of educational materials were developed for the project, including information for people living with arthritis and for health care providers.
Through the project The Arthritis Society donated books and videos to more than 150 community libraries. The Society made the donations so people in participating communities could access current and accurate arthritis information.
Funders
The project was funded through Health Canada's Primary Health Care Transition Fund.
About The Program
Getting a Grip on Arthritis is The Arthritis Society's first ever Canada-wide arthritis training program for health care providers.
It provided training workshops for primary health care providers so they could enhance their skills, improve their ability to diagnose arthritis and provide helpful advice to patients. At the workshops health care providers also learned about local community resources and about the importance of early referral to a specialist for people with more severe arthritis.
Thirty workshops were held in urban and rural communities across the country between September 2004 and December 2005 and more than 800 health care providers were trained. Providers included doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals who treat people with arthritis. The project focused primarily on osteoarthritis the most common type of arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, a more serious and complex form of the disease.
The impact of the project is currently being evaluated.
Our Partners
Getting a Grip on Arthritis was a joint initiative involving The Arthritis Society and the following partners: