This year World Arthritis Day takes place Wednesday, October 12th. The aims of World Arthritis Day are to raise awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, to influence public policy by making decision-makers aware of the burden of these diseases, and to ensure all people with these diseases and their caregivers are aware of the vast support network available to them.
These are important goals, and we encourage all NORM members to get their patients & practices involved. To help you do that, we’ve put together five ways you can make this World Arthritis Day the most successful one yet.
- Download the toolkit.
If your practice would like to hold a World Arthritis Day activity this year, you can make it easier by downloading their free toolkit, which explains how to get involved. The toolkit contains a quick reminder about the aims of World Arthritis Day, an overview of the ‘The Future in your Hands’ campaign, guidance materials on working with media, and brand new artwork for your use. Download the free toolkit here.
- Share your events with the wider community.
When you’re doing great work in the arthritis community, you don’t want it to go unnoticed. The official World Arthritis Day website makes it easy to share your events and discover other opportunities to celebrate and spread awareness. You an add any event, big or small, that supports people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, whether it’s a local support group or a huge party at your practice. To put your event to the map, simply visit World Arthritis Day’s “events” page and submit your information. - Upload your story.
This year, World Arthritis Day is inviting people to share their personal stories, along with an image or video that includes their hands. They’re calling it “The Future is in Your Hands” campaign, and it’s a wonderful way to connect with the arthritis community as well as find and give support to others. Many people have already shared their stories, and the result is a powerful resource. While this campaign is geared toward individuals rather than practices, it’s a wonderful project to point your patients toward. Telling them about this opportunity and encouraging them to take part is a great way to celebrate World Arthritis Day. - Get social!
Use the hashtag #WADStory on social media to share how your practice is taking part. The official World Arthritis Day organization is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This is a great way to spread the word about World Arthritis Day, get the movement trending on major social networks, and spread awareness throughout the medical community and the wider world. - Be an advocate.
One of the goals of World Arthritis Day is to “influence public policy by making decision-makers aware of the burden of these diseases and the steps which can be taken to ease them.” You can do this by hosting a letter writing campaign or phone bank, during which you contact your local representatives and ask them to push for policies and laws that make healthcare more accessible. The Arthritis Foundation has some great information on how to do this, who to contact, and what to say. Check it out, and then help your community make a difference.
We hope these ideas help you celebrate World Arthritis Day and improve the lives of your patients. If you have any other ideas, please share them on our Facebook page.
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