Category: Arthritis News

AI, data and the future of orthopaedics

Dr Arash Angadji photoGuest blog by Dr Arash Angadji, Chief Executive, Orthopaedic Research UK

I was talking to a PhD student who has recently received one of our fellowship grants to research the use of statistical modelling to help better predict patient outcomes, who told me, ‘I am part of that generation that has grown up with computers, so It feels natural to ask how we can we exploit this technology. We are all getting more on board with the idea of smart technology and wearable devices and questioning why we are not applying these technologies to our patients.’…

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MELODY – Investigating COVID-19 vaccine efficacy in immunocompromised people

A new national trial is recruiting people with rare autoimmune diseases to measure their COVID-19 antibody response following at least 3 vaccinations.

The MELODY study is recruiting immunocompromised people to determine the antibody levels they develop in response to COVID-19 vaccination.

The MELODY study aims to:

  1. Assess how many immunocompromised people have detectable antibodies against COVID-19 following at least 3 vaccines;
  2. Investigate whether a lack of detectable antibodies is associated with risk of infection over a 6-month period;
  3. Investigate what factors are associated with lack of detectable antibodies in immunocompromised people.
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The changing healthcare landscape

In her most recent blog about the changes in the healthcare landscape caused by the pandemic, our National Patient Champion, Ailsa Bosworth MBE reflects on how these changes will impact on the care of people with RA and Adult JIA.  She considers how it has become even more important for those with these autoimmune conditions to be able to learn about their disease and acquire skills and coping strategies to enable better supported self-management, and Ailsa explains how NRAS can help with this.…

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Recent BSR report on health inequalities

The British Society of Rheumatology recently published its National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit report (opens in PDF) focusing on the association between ethnicity, processes of care and health outcomes, highlighting the variation between ethnic groups.

Some of the report’s key findings include:

  • Fewer Black, Asian and ethnic minority patients reported disease remission by three-month follow-up compared to white patients (30% compared to 37%)
  • Black, Asian and ethnic minority patients were more likely to report symptoms of anxiety or depression compared to white patients (33% compared to 30%)

The report concludes that there appears to be equality in provision of care at the start of the patient journey, but the outcomes highlight the imbalance in equity.…

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#SolvingTogether hip and knee replacement challenge

#SolvingTogether is an initiative to capture, assess, test and share ideas that support elective recovery. It was initiated by Director of Transformation for NHS England and Improvement Tim Ferris. It takes the form of a crowdsourcing platform where people can post ideas, backed up by tweet chats.

The major phase of #SolvingTogether will start in mid-February 2022. It will consist of six challenges that we will ask a huge range of people to respond to: people working at the point of care, service users and families, clinical and managerial leaders, partners in other sectors and clinical innovators and entrepreneurs.…

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FLS amendment to the Health and Care Bill

Lord Black’s amendment to the Health and Care Bill calling for equal access to FLS

On 20 January 2022, the House of Lords were again debating the Health and Care Bill and Lord Black of Brentwood put forward an amendment to the Bill which would make Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) a core service offered by the NHS in England.

Lord Black’s amendment received cross-party support and was co-signed by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Lord Rennard and Baroness Masham of Ilton.…

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Rheumatology PIFU guidance

The updated rheumatology PIFU (Patient Initiated Follow-Up) guidance is now on NHS England and NHS Improvement’s FutureNHS platform. The document is aimed at clinicians, service managers and commissioners the guidance supports the appropriate, safe, and sustainable implementation and delivery of PIFU for people with rheumatological conditions who are under the care of adult rheumatology services. 

See it on the FutureNHS platform (account required).

The guidance can be viewed in “draft” form at this link, once signed off, it will be published on the NHSE website.…

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Arthritis Action Marks 80th Anniversary

2022 marks 80 years of Arthritis Action supporting communities affected by arthritis, with a year of special events and activities. To commemorate this milestone anniversary, the charity introduces a year-long campaign of events and activities recognising the members, partners, volunteers, and organisations who have shown their generous support over the past eight decades.

Some highlighted activities planned for the following months include:

  • Arthritis Action’s 80 Faces Campaign, celebrating 80 of the charity’s closest supporters and thanking them for their vital help throughout the past 80 years
  • The #kickupschallenge launch event, a challenge event on social media
  • An 80 Portraits challenge, with Arthritis Action’s Corporate Partnerships Manager Victoria Clarke, commissioned to paint 80 Portraits over the next twelve months with proceeds donated to the 80th Anniversary fund
  • A report developed in partnership with YouGov, looking at the state of play and needs of working-age people currently living with arthritis in Great Britain
  • An ‘80 Miles’ walking challenge with Arthritis Action’s Dietitian and Services Development Manager, Martin Lau

Full information on the campaign plans can be found on Arthritis Action’s 80th Anniversary page.…

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COVID-19 update video – Hope on the horizon

Hope on the horizon for immuno-suppressed/compromised individuals

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, in partnership with ARMA, delivered a Facebook live session on vaccination and new COVID-19 treatments aimed at anyone who is immunosuppressed.

Watch the recording to learn about a new scheme to rapidly get treatments to those who are immunocompromised and a trial of treatments for those over 50 or with certain risk factors.