To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(tm) New Innovative Education Program URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/96F2.htm Doctor's Guide June 11, 1996
TORONTO, June 10, 1996 -- Searle Canada, a unit of Monsanto Canada Inc., in partnership with Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and the University of Toronto today introduced Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM), an innovative medical education program in which people with arthritis are trained to demonstrate to health care providers and medical students about their disabling disease. Commended by The Arthritis Society, the program marks an important new direction in the understanding of arthritis, a serious disorder that affects more than four million Canadians. Directed by Dr. Mary J. Bell, a rheumatologist with Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) is a unique program whereby people with arthritis become instructors to help health care providers better understand the disease. The Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program is being launched on a national basis. The Canadian coordination and training site for the program is Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in Toronto, with five additional satellite sites established in Montreal (2), London, Winnipeg and Vancouver. To date, 28 people with arthritis have been trained under the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program in Canada, and a total of 78 people with arthritis will be trained across the country by the end of 1996. "By utilizing patient intervention in the medical education process, Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) provides health care professionals with invaluable, hands-on training to help increase their skills and effectiveness in dealing with people with arthritis,'' stated Dr. Mary Bell, rheumatologist and director of the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program. "Not only does the program enable physicians to improve their arthritis diagnostic and communication skills, but also it provides people with arthritis with a means to play an integral role in the management of their disease.'' Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) was originally introduced in the U.S. in 1992 as an innovative approach to improving the quality of arthritis care. Based on its success, in 1995 Dr. Mary Bell, in conjunction with Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and the University of Toronto, began a pilot study with support from Searle Canada to determine the feasibility of a Canadian version of the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program. Conducted at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, the pilot study focused on training five people with arthritis to become patient educators -- known as Patient Partners'-- with instruction in anatomy, medical terminology and the full body musculoskeletal (MSK) examination, a key component in the optimal management of arthritis. Subsequently, these Patient Partners demonstrated the MSK examination to health care providers, medical students and other people with arthritis. Results of the study indicated that, after working with a Patient Partner, participants' ability to conduct a full body MSK examination improved. The success of the pilot study stimulated interest in the program at other Canadian medical schools. The first Canadian site was established at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in 1995. Toronto-area rheumatologists were asked to recommend persons with arthritis who would be good Patient Partner candidates. In early 1996, 23 additional candidates were selected and trained as Patient Partners at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. Ten members of the first group of Patient Partner graduates are now training Patient Partner candidates in each of the five satellite locations across Canada. By the end of 1996, a total of 78 Patient Partners will be trained and working with the medical community and other people with arthritis. Moreover, the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program has now become part of the ambulatory medicine rotation for third and fourth year medical students at the Boyd Academy at the University of Toronto, where the pilot study was conducted. Patient Partners are people with arthritis selected to be trained as patient educators by rheumatologists across Canada, based on a specific set of criteria including: having been diagnosed with "classic'' findings of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis; having the ability to learn and understand medical terminology; and possessing strong communication skills. Once selected, the Patient Partners receive more than 100 hours of intensive training and practice in anatomy, medical terminology and the conduct of the full body musculoskeletal (MSK) examination. Fundamental to the Patient Partners' training is the emphasis on learning to demonstrate and evaluate the MSK examination in teaching situations with health care providers and medical students. "Increased knowledge can make it easier for people with arthritis to cope with their condition, improve self-care strategies and has been shown to increase compliance with therapy,'' continued Dr. Bell. "People who understand their condition and feel more comfortable discussing it become empowered, and this sense of control helps them cope more effectively with their arthritis.'' Upon completion of training, Patient Partners participate in a variety of activities ultimately aimed at improving care for persons with arthritis. These activities include demonstrating the proper conduct of a full body MSK examination to health care providers and medical students, participating at continuing health education meetings, and training future Patient Partners. In addition, a key component of the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) program includes educating other people with arthritis about the disease. "Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) represents an important new approach to arthritis education in Canada,'' stated Dr. David Caspari, business unit director, medical and scientific affairs at Searle Canada. "It is unique in that both the physician and the patient benefit from an increased knowledge and understanding of the disease, resulting in improved communication critical to effective arthritis management.'' The development of Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) in Canada was based on research indicating that, despite arthritis affecting one in seven Canadians, many health care providers lack confidence in their ability to accurately diagnose and treat arthritis. This can result in delays in treatment and unnecessary costs to the health care system. Compounding this issue is the fact that exposure to the study of rheumatology is limited in Canadian medical schools. Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) provides an effective means of augmenting existing curricula. "Strategic partnerships and flexible approaches are increasingly necessary to provide the resources, infrastructure and expertise required to truly meet the needs of people with arthritis,'' added Denis Morrice, president and chief executive officer of The Arthritis Society. "We commend Sunnybrook Health Science Centre at the University of Toronto and Searle Canada for their leadership and innovation in bringing Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) to Canada.'' Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) is coordinated nationally by Sunnybrook Health Science Centre in affiliation with the University of Toronto. Additional sites include: Montreal, the Notre-Dame Hospital in affiliation with the University of Montreal, and the Jewish General Hospital in affiliation with McGill University; London, the St. Joseph's Health Centre in affiliation with the University of Western Ontario; Winnipeg, the Health Science Centre in affiliation with the University of Manitoba; and Vancouver, St. Paul's Hospital in affiliation with the University of British Columbia. For more information about the Searle Patient Partners in Arthritis(TM) Program call (416) 480-5792 or for additional information regarding arthritis and arthritis care, please call The Arthritis Society at 1-800-321-1433. A leader in the field of rheumatological pharmaceuticals, Searle Canada has provided quality health care products to Canadians for more than 40 years. A research-based pharmaceutical company, Searle Canada is an operating unit of Monsanto Canada Inc. Sunnybrook Health Science Centre is a thirteen-hundred bed teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. It specializes in trauma, heart and circulation, aging, mental health, community and cancer. The Arthritis Society is Canada's only not-for-profit organization devoted solely to funding and promoting arthritis research, patient care and public education. Its mission is to search for the underlying causes and subsequent cures for arthritis, and to promote the best possible care and treatment for people with arthritis. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. 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