Arthritis is a widespread chronic disease which can result in severe disability. Arthritis is best managed by a triad of treatment, education, and research. A community model for arthritis rehabilitation, with emphasis on the team approach, is described and illustrated. Central to the design of the model is an arthritis centre which demonstrates exemplary treatment and has a commitment to develop education and research programs. Primary arthritis care is the responsibility of the health professionals in each community, and the arthritis centre provides the support and resources for their programs. The model is suggested as a prototype for the management of other major chronic diseases.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BarrowsD.M.BereznyL.M.ReynoldsM.D.Physical and Occupational therapy for arthritic patients. A co-operative effort among hospital departments. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1978, 59, 64–67.
2.
EngelA.BurchT.Chronic arthritis in the United States health examination survey. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 1967, 10, 61–62.
3.
HalsteadL.S.Team care in chronic illness: A critical review of the literature of the past 25 years. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation., 1976, 57, 507–511.
4.
HathawayE.Research in occupational therapy. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1974, 41, 65–68.
5.
HunterJ.E.Research and occupational therapy. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1976, 43, 121–125.
6.
KatzS.VignosP.J.Jr.MoskowitzR.W.ThompsonH.M.SvecK.H.Comprehensive out-patient care in rheumatoid arthritis. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1968, 206, 1249–1254.
7.
KayeR.L.HammondA.H.Understanding rheumatoid arthritis. Evaluation of a patient education program. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1978, 239, 2466–2467.
8.
LawrenceJ.S.Rheumatism in populations.London: William Heinemann Medical Books Ltd., 1977.
9.
MasiA.T.MedsgerT.A.Epidemiology of the rheumatic diseases. In HollanderJ.E.McCarthyD.J. (Eds.), Arthritis and allied conditions.Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1979.
10.
National Commission of Arthritis and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases. Arthritis: Out of the maze. Volume 1: The arthritis plan. Report to the Congress of the United States. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Publication No. (NIH) 76–1150, 1967.
11.
OgryzloM.A.Organization of an arthritis centre. In HollanderJ.E.McCarthyD.J. (Eds.), Arthritis and allied conditions.Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1979.
12.
PackM.Never Surrender.Vancouver, British Columbia: Mitchell Press Ltd., 1974.
13.
RopesM.W.Diagnostic criteria for rheumatoid arthritis 1958 revision. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 1959, 18, 49–53.
14.
RodnanG.P.(Ed.) Primer on the rheumatic diseases. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 1973, 224, (5) (Supplement).
15.
SwezeyA.M.SwezeyR.L.Patient education in arthritis: Establishing guidelines by the use of educational needs surveys. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1975, 56, 564. (Abstract).
16.
SwezeyR.L.Arthritis: Rational therapy and rehabilitation.Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 1978.
17.
YerxaE.J.The foundation. Basic or Applied? A “developmental assessment” of occupational therapy research in 1981. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 1981, 35, 820–821.
18.
RobinsonH.S.Personal Communication, July 12, 1982.
19.
RobinsonH.S.Rheumatoid Arthritis — Principles in Rehabilitation. Paper presented at the ninth annual course on Clinical Application of Basic Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario, May 1982.
