Professional internet resources
Apps
Available in both French and English, Arthritis ID Pro is the most comprehensive free arthritis app for healthcare professionals, featuring the most current, evidence-based arthritis information to help detect, treat and manage arthritis. (FREE)
Assessment & Outcome Measures
This website provides a comprehensive database of validated patient-reported instruments (indices, questionnaires, scales, or others) used in rheumatology. The database can be searched by language, disease, or domain (e.g., satisfaction, fatigue, sleep, work, anxiety & depression, etc.). The database includes a detailed description of each instrument, including:
- The instrument itself
- Patient population/s or settings where it has been validated
- Recommendations and guidance on use (data collection and scoring method)
- How to interpret the results
- References and validated translated versions in the EU languages, with download or link to access
- Measurement properties (validity, reliability)
OsteoArthritis Research Society International (OARSI) developed this core set of recommended performance-based tests of physical function for
older individuals (> 40 years) diagnosed with hip and/or knee OA, including end stage disease or following joint replacement. Videos demonstrations of each performance test are available HERE.
This free information and calculation service allows users to anonymously complete validated clinician and patient self-report orthopaedic measures online. Following completion the website calculates the final score, which can then be printed for one’s record or saved as a CVS file. Joint-specific measures are available for the knee (ACL), foot/ankle, wrist, hand, lumbar spine, cervical spine, hip, knee (OA) shoulder (instability and non-instability), and elbow. There is also a single psychological measure.
The Rehabilitation Measures Database was developed to help clinicians and researchers identify reliable and valid instruments used to assess patient outcomes during all phases of rehabilitation. The database provides evidence-based summaries that include concise descriptions of each instrument’s psychometric properties, instructions for administering and scoring each assessment, as well as a representative bibliography with citations linked to PubMed abstracts. Whenever possible, a copy of the instrument has been included for users to download, or information about obtaining the instrument.
The TJAOM toolkit provides clinicians with information on how to select, use and interpret outcome measures appropriate for use along the continuum of care for patients before and after total joint arthroplasty.
An App developed for clinicians to select, administer, calculate scores and interpret functional performance and self-report measures at point of care. (Paid subscription required)
Patient Care
OASIS is a Vancouver Coastal Health Program that provides online and in-person education to support people with osteoarthritis. The OASIS website provides information about their classes and a schedule of upcoming sessions.
Vancouver Coastal Health has an online resource library with excellent educational materials that can be accessed by typing “arthritis” or “joint replacement” into the ‘Quick Search’ box. These include but are not limited to:
- Before, during and after hip and knee replacement surgery: A patient’s guide (English, Chinese, Farsi, and Punjabi)
- Exercise guide for knee replacement surgery
- Exercise guide for hip replacement surgery
- Joint replacement in the rheumatoid hand
- Neuflex MCP joint replacement: A patient guide
- Pyrocarbon MCP joint replacement
Professional Education & Resources
This Canadian website provides information and resources for health professionals and patients on rheumatic diseases, medications, common lab tests, assessment and screening tools and tips on how to live the best life possible with arthritis. More comprehensive continuing medical education is available through RheumTalks.
RheumTutor.com was developed by Dr. Raj Carmona, rheumatologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University in 2012. Included on this site is a series of videos illustrating the proper way to conduct examinations of the hip, elbow, ankle and foot, hand and wrist, knee, shoulder, and back. Ideal for medical students, residents, rheumatology fellows and allied health professionals.
- Osteoarthritis Tool (Arthritis Alliance of Canada/Centre for Effective Practice)
The Osteoarthritis (OA) Tool was developed for primary care providers who are managing patients with new or recurrent joint pain consistent
with OA in the hip, knee or hand. This tool will help clinicians identify symptoms and provide evidence-based, goal-oriented non-pharmacological and pharmacological management while identifying triggers for investigations or referrals.
RAP-eL is a series of online modules designed for physiotherapists anywhere in the world who want to improve their disease knowledge and clinical practice skills to optimally manage people with rheumatoid arthritis. Good resource for other health professionals who treat patients with RA.
This repository was developed in response to COVID-19 and provides solutions for healthcare professionals seeking to access and signpost patients with OA to remote, high-quality programmes that do not require face to face contact. It also provides healthcare practitioner resources for online training in delivering OA management programmes.
Provides a range of online and in-person courses for allied health professionals and rheumatologists. The EULAR Online Course for Health Professionals is aimed at health professionals in rheumatology and consists of a 8 modules covering common rheumatic diseases, assessment, interventions and psychosocial approaches to management. Takes approx. 9 months to complete. (Requires registration and course fee)
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) provides decision-makers with the evidence, advice and recommendations they need to make informed decisions in health care. Funded by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments, CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit agency that delivers timely, evidence-based information to health care leaders about the effectiveness and efficiency of health technologies.
This Portal provides a consolidated one-stop shop for busy health professionals and public health decision-makers. It is a compilation of multiple sources of trusted and credible information. The Portal links to resources and solutions to plan programs for promoting health and preventing diseases for patients populations and communities.
Exercise is Medicine® Canada (EIMC) is a movement to make Canadians healthier. Launched in 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine, EIMC is based on abundant evidence that physical activity and exercise reduce the risk of chronic disease. Resources for professionals include an exercise prescription & referral tool, a guide for prescribing exercise, physical activity guidelines, sedentary behaviour guidelines, and more.
Developed by the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP), the medication administration quick guides provide basic information about common rheumatology infusion medications. The information has been obtained from the manufacturer’s Full Prescribing Information document for each agent. All quick guides are freely available to any healthcare professional.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is one of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health. The NCCIH conducts and supports research and provides information about complementary health products and practices.
The mission of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases is to support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases; the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research; and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases.
Professional Associations
The Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) is a Canadian society of health professionals who work in the field of rheumatology. Its members come from a variety of clinical and administrative settings, such as hospitals, clinics, community programs and universities. AHPA is dedicated to improving health care standards for people with rheumatic diseases through the promotion of education and support of research among its members.
The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) is the national professional association for Canadian rheumatologists. They provide guidelines, resources and education to their members. Together with the AHPA, they host an annual meeting highlighting research and education for rheumatology professionals across Canada.
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) provides in-person and online programs of education, research, advocacy, and practice support. The Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP), a division of the College, is a professional society with members representing clinical care (advanced practice nurses, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists, social workers), research, education and administration.
OARSI is the leading medical society for advancing the understanding, early detection, treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis (OA) through its exclusive dedication to research. Resources include both patient and health provider versions of guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip and polyarticular osteoarthritis.
