Grant: Undergraduate: Mobility, musculoskeletal health and arthritis - ICS

Patients with arthritis often experience pain, disability and reduction in societal participation including loss of employment, reduced fertility, altered quality of life and premature death. Timely diagnosis and access to appropriate health care and related services is crucial to minimizing the impact. There is evidence to suggest that family doctors may not feel confident about their ability to diagnose various types of arthritis, which may limit their willingness to initiate treatment or referral to specialist care. To support people experiencing musculoskeletal problems and promote early detection of arthritis, an iPhone application has been developed, called ArthritisID, to determine whether patients experiencing joint problems have inflammatory or osteo- arthritis. Given that patients often see pharmacists as the first point of contact for their health care needs, pharmacists are in an optimum position to act as potential screeners to identify arthritis early. In this study, we will test the possibility of screening for arthritis using ArthritisID in local pharmacies and determine how the application will influence patient behaviour and doctor referrals.