Welcome to the Rheuma@Web!
“Very few companies are using digital techology
for new processes that radically improve how they function, that give them
full benefit of all their employees’ capabilities, and that give them the
speed of response they will need to compete in the emerging high-speed bsiness
world. Most companies don’t realize
that the tools to accomplish these changes are now available to everyone.
Though at heart most business problems are information problems, almost no
one is using information well.”
Bill Gates 
Are we using information well? No, probaly not. Galen (128–200AD) Greek physician and anatomist whose ideas dominated Western medicine for almost 1,500 years once asked what is the reason for the ‘disgraceful state of affairs’ for patients with ‘this extraordinary thing arthritis’. He offered us dissipation, or ignorance, or both. Let us hope that dissipation is not the answer. Ignorance is a much better candidate. And ignorance remains the problem. Not enough people know about arthritis.
Not enough is known about rheumatic diseases!
Education of the arthritic patient as well as the public
are the main subject of the Icelandic Rheuma@Web. Arthritis is indeed an ‘extraordinary thing’,
and the study of it is fascinating. Our
hope is that this Rhema@Web will provide readers with a suitable introduction
to the subject, and make some contribution, via you, the reader, to the final
outdating of Galen’s comments.
Rheuma@Web is the homepage of the Arthritis Foundation
of Iceland. Iceland is
a 100.000m2 volcanic island situated on the North Atlantic volcanic
ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. The
climate is temperate thanks to the Golf stream.
The general education level (population c:a 270.000) on the island
is high.
EDUCATION OF THE ARTHRITIC PATIENT AND THE PUBLIC
It is well known that approximately 20% of all primary-care
consultations involve disorders of the musculoskeletal system and 30% of all
patients admitted to hospitals can be identified as having some problem in
the musculoskeletal system. Thus, rheumatology education in its widest sense
is essential, not only to specialists in the area of rheumatic disease, but
to primary-care physicians (internists, family practitioners and pediatricians),
orthopedic surgeons and many other physicians, as well as allied health professionals.
In the wide area of health care professions, nurses, physical and occupational
therapists, social workers and many others require knowledge of rheumatic
disease. Within each of these fields there are specialists with expertise
in the area of rheumatic disease, but all of these individuals care for patients
with rheumatic diseases.
A common lay belief about arthritis is that it is an
inevitable consequence of getting older, and that little or nothing can be
done about it. In terms of public awareness, arthritis generally scores badly
when compared with cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other areas of medicine.
There is very little appreciation of the numbers of patients affected by arthritis
or the often devastating psychological, social or financial consequences of
chronic pain and suffering or disability. Major sources of information for
the public include newspaper or magazine articles, or radio or television
programs. In order to encourage broader coverage and assure that the information
provided is accurate, it is very important that all health care professionals
involved in rheumatologic care learn to work with all available media, not
least the Internet. Access to education
in rheumatology at all levels is essential for most health care professionals
as well as the public.
Goals in chronic rheumatic diseases may include enhancement
of psychological well being, maintenance of social interaction and employment,
minimization of disability and handicap, and pain control. The patients’ own feeling of control, or lack
of it appears to be an important determinant of outcome. There is an abundance of written material for
patient self-learning. Good examples
include brochures developed by the Icelandic League Against Rheumatism (Gigtarfélag
Íslands), Arthritis and Rheumatism Council (Gigtarráð Íslands) and more.
In addition, disease-oriented special interest groups have come to fill a
very important educational need. Many
different professionals have a role in patient education, including nurses,
therapists, social workers, and others. The value of a multidisciplinary team
approach to patient education, as in other aspects of arthritis management,
has been stressed in the literature. While patient education in rheumatology
is plausibly of great value, there is still much to be done to prove its worth
and relative value in improving patient outcome.
In some countries, lay organizations work to improve
knowledge and awareness of the rheumatic diseases, examples being the efforts
of the Arthritis Foundation in the United States, the Arthritis and Rheumatism
Council in the United Kingdom, the Canadian Arthritis Society and the Arthritis
Foundation of Iceland. These organizations have and should have a major commitment
to public education. At an international level, the efforts of ILAR and its
affiliated organizations are laudable. However, it is the responsibility of
all health care professionals working in the field to contribute to the slowly
improving levels of education of the public worldwide.
Education in all aspects of rheumatology has advanced enormously over recent years but much has still to be done. Many professional groups, lay organizations, research units and others have developed a very active interest in rheumatologic education. Improvements in educational techniques, including goal setting, methods of education, and the measurement of outcome have helped the advances. In the future, the current revolution in information technology, with the introduction of a wider range of electronic aids to information transfer, should encourage a further decade of rapid growth in educational programs in rheumatology.
It is our hope, that you, weather you suffer from any rheumatic condition or not will benefit from browsing thorough these pages of the Icelandic Rheuma@Web.
Sit back, pet your mouse and: Enjoy!
