Arthritis At Home Episode 34: A conversation about life with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic with Kelly English

As part of the new summer schedule, Arthritis At Home is offering interviews with leading arthritis consumer-patient leaders and advocates who either work or volunteer in our community across Canada.

The 34^th episode of Arthritis At Home features Kelly English, a member of the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board of Arthritis Research Canada. Kelly speaks with Cheryl Koehn, President, Arthritis Consumer Experts, on life with rheumatoid arthritis during COVID-19. Learn how she is adjusting to life during the pandemic and how she is managing her disease and using coping strategies to deal with the stress and loneliness many patients are experiencing.

Kelly has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 24 years. She has been a member of the Arthritis Patient Advisory Board of Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) since 2013 and co-chair since 2017. Belonging to ARC’s Patient Board has improved her quality of life by giving her a chance to help shape research. The researchers have welcomed her as a participant and patient-partner in research.

As a patient-partner, Kelly has participated on a team composed of a scientist, a trainee and several patients to develop a framework for Patient Engagement in Research which can be used by many disease groups – not just arthritis. Recently, Kelly was a featured on the webinar “Patient’s Experiences of Engaging in Research” as part of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Knowledge Translation Series: https://www.msfhr.org/ktconnects#Dance

Check out these helpful resources:

Arthritis Patient Advisory Board at Arthritis Research Canada

Online Health Assessment Questionnaire through the OPERAS (an On-demand Program to EmpoweR Active Self-management) study

• Introduction
• “OPERAS for Everyone” consent form

Your Provincial Health Authority is also an excellent source for the most current information about COVID-19 where you live:

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario
• Quebec
• Nova Scotia
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Prince Edward Island
• Yukon
• Northwest Territories
• Nunavut

To view more episodes of Arthritis At Home, please visit: https://arthritisathome.jointhealth.org