In 2023, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance partnered with McMaster University to offer a clinical placement opportunity for a Master of Occupational Therapy (OT) student. We welcomed the collaboration as a sign of the growth of patient involvement in the education of health professionals which provides practical value for our community of people with arthritis. It was a first for CAPA and definitely something we would like to do again.
CAPA was fortunate to work with Bella Cairns as she completed her occupational therapy studies. Over the course of a few months, Bella interviewed fourteen individuals living with various forms of arthritis to learn more about their challenges. She did a thematic analysis of the responses which provided an integrated student learning experience to learn more about patient challenges firsthand and develop resources for patients to address these needs. Out of the work, Bella created a several resources for patients like explaining the role of an OT, Tips on How to Manage Daily Cooking Tasks and Tips to Live Well with Arthritis. These resources and more are available on our website, our monthly newsletters, and shared regularly on Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Learn more at arthritispatient.ca.
