Summit on Standards for Arthritis Prevention and Care

November 1-2, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario

Planning Committee

Representatives from the arthritis community, Allied Health Professions Association, Arthritis Community Research & Evaluation Unit, Arthritis Consumer Experts, Arthritis Research Centre of Canada, Bone and Joint Decade, Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN), Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, Canadian Paediatric Rheumatology Association, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Cochrane Collaboration, College of Family Physicians, Health Canada, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, Patient Partners in Arthritis, Public Health, The Arthritis Society of Canada (TAS) and industry partners.

Participation

Individuals with arthritis, formal and informal care givers, health care providers, government – federal, provincial and territorial, arthritis researchers and clinicians, voluntary associations, educators and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry.

Purpose

To establish clear, definitive standards for arthritis prevention and care.

Vision

Optimal arthritis care for all Canadians.

Mission

Through consensus involving all stakeholders, set evidence-based national standards for arthritis prevention and care.

Objectives

• Review and present the evidence for care at all levels, including access, costs and quality of care, and make evidence-based recommendations to federal, territorial and provincial governments;
• Through consensus, set realistic standards for arthritis care for government, service providers and consumers;
• Identify barriers to care and develop strategies to overcome them; and
• Where evidence is inadequate, establish an agenda to guide priorities in arthritis research in Canada and drive development of additional standards.