OA Patients Task Force

OA Task Force

Patients must be united if we are to advance in the same direction. For this reason, the Osteoarthritis Foundation International (OAFI) and the Arthritis Foundation lead the implementation of the OA Patients Task Force, an alliance between the most important associations of patients with rheumatologic problems in order to work together globally with a focus on osteoarthritis.

The OA Patients Task Force represents more than 150 million worldwide.

We work together to improve the quality of life of osteoarthritis patients and establish synergies between patients’ organizations worldwide.

The OA Patients Task Force published the results of the first systematic review of the literature on the quality of life of people with osteoarthritis. The review  examines the impact of the disease on the quality of life in patients and the individual and social factors associated, to better understand the disease and facilitate new strategies for a better patient management.

In 2018, OA Patients Task Force conducted the Global OA Patient Perception Survey (GOAPPS). The first survey to investigate the OA patients’ perception of quality of life directly comparing it across many languages and nations/cultures using the same survey.

The purpose was to conduct a pilot study to collect information on OA patients’ perceptions regarding the impact of the disease in their lives.

The results aim to help all stakeholders involved in the OA healthcare and management value chain to develop a better understanding of patients’ perceptions and how they may differ between cultures in order to address their needs more effectively in terms of prevention, research, and management.