Have you or your family been affected by juvenile arthritis? On this episode, Tiffany is joined by Rochelle Lentini, CEO and President of Purple Playas Foundation, who have united with other specialists and families to identify additional tips to improve communication. During this episode, Rochelle and Tiffany discuss this new collaboration project between AiArthritis and Purple Playas Foundation, along with Rheumatology Nurses Society and Novartis, to create discussion aids and question guidance to help families improve communication with all the professionals they meet along the way.  T ..read more

Join us for this episode where the co-hosts, Tiffany and Leila, share their personal journeys of being diagnosed with AiArthritis diseases. Tune in to hear how their journey of being diagnosed and misdiagnosed and the lessons they learned throughout the process.    We also delve into the exciting new resource tool developed by AiArthritis, which helps patients navigate the process of seeking a diagnosis, understanding symptoms, and asking the right questions of their doctors. Plus, we invite other patients to share their stories and provide insights for those just starting their Auto ..read more

Welcome to part 2 of the Rheumy Rounds episode where we bring Rheumatologists and patients to the table. During this episode, we are going to be discussing the good, the bad and the ugly in office visits. In an effort to improve office visits and patient experiences, we are creating an Ebook with a collection of all your stories.    During this episode, Deb Constein and Tiffany Westrich-Robertson share their experiences as patients and Dr. Al Kim shares his perspective as a physician. In addition, we highlight the importance of active listening and communication during office visits ..read more

Welcome to another Rheumy Rounds episode where we bring Rheumatologists and patients to the table. During this episode, we are going to be discussing the good, the bad and the ugly in office visits. In an effort to improve office visits and patient experiences, we will be collecting YOUR stories and examples of Good, Bad, and just downright Ugly office visits. We will turn this collection into an eBook and AiArthritis (patients) and rheumatologists will read your submissions and work together to create recommendations to improve office communications (citing YOUR examples!)  During this e ..read more

Patient involvement in research is key to developing knowledge and understanding around the many AiArthritis diseases. As a person living with AiArthritis diseases, there are lots of ways you can get involved with patient research such as clinical trials, surveys, focus groups, data banks and more. You can even elevate your participation through conference attendance and being part of the research team! In this month’s episode, we join our co-hosts Tiffany, Deb, Kerry and Eileen, all living with AiArthritis diseases, as they discuss the importance of patient involvement in research. During thi ..read more

This episode is a Step 2 - an initial visit to the table - as outlined in our 6 Step Patient-Led Problem Solving Process. DEIA : Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Each of these elements that affect patients daily should be considered when thinking about patient diagnosis, physician care, treatment plans, research, lifestyle choices, and societal inclusion.  In this month’s episode, we join Tiffany from AiArthritis, Estela Mata from Looms 4 Lupus, and Charis Hill - disability activist, as we are going to be discussing this topic. Each co-host has their own story to share, th ..read more

This episode is a Step 2 - an initial visit to the table - as outlined in our 6 Step Patient-Led Problem Solving Process. As more treatment options are moving towards Biosimilars, many questions are being raised by patients. What are Biosimilars? Are they safe and effective? Are there downsides? Upsides? What are doctors' opinions on Biosimilars? What should I do if I am switched to a Biosimilar?   These are all questions that are at the forefront of our minds when living with AiArthritis diseases. This month, we invited patient advocates, doctors and coalition leaders to join the convers ..read more

This episode is a Step 5 - a revisit to the table - as outlined in our 6 Step Patient-Led Problem Solving Process Over the last couple of years, the world has watched as COVID-19 has evolved into variants that differ slightly from the original virus. We’ve seen vaccinations and boosters work, yet we also know that new strains are somewhat resistant to high level protection. COVID treatments have emerged to help those who are immunocompromised - like those with AiArthritis diseases who are on immunosuppressive treatments - but can we access them and, if so, how?  We've been on quite an emo ..read more

This episode is a Step 2 - put the topic on the table for the 1st time - in our 6 Step Patient-Led Problem Solving Process   In this episode Tiffany, Deb, and Bridget talk about personalized therapy, or complimentary, non-pharmacologic options, that are being researched and added to new recommendations for full disease management. We often talk about the importance of Precision Medicine (which involves finding the best pharmacologic treatment for each person’s individual needs), but as we, as patients, identify what works best for our unique needs, we have to consider all options (both ph ..read more

This is a Step 5 Episode*   In this episode, Tiffany, CEO of AiArthritis, is joined by Catherine Ames, from the Young Patients’ Autoimmune Research & Empowerment Alliance, both persons living with AiArthritis diseases and both who attended the 16th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference in May 2022. Precision Medicine (PM) may currently be in the cancer space, but it’s quickly moving into the autoimmune/autoinflammatory space and there are some things they want you to know. What is it? Why is it important to understand and what can you do to make sure you can benefit most from it as ..read more