About Don't Delay, Connect Today

In 2017, EULAR launched the Europe-wide campaign entitled ‘Don’t Delay, Connect Today’ with the goal to highlight rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) as major diseases and a public health concern of pandemic proportions, and that early diagnosis and timely access to treatment can prevent further damage and burden on the individual and society.

The campaign targets the public, physicians, health professionals, occupational health therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists and policy-makers. 


Why it matters?

They say life is short – so give it your best shot. For many millions of people in Europe the opportunity to design a good life is however severely limited by a chronic disease.

There are over 200 rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, RMDs. All of them can have debilitating effects on the individual, their life and career prospects, as well as national health care systems. 

Approximately 100 million people in Europe are currently diagnosed with an RMD, there are however at least 100 million more who are living without a diagnosis.

EULAR started the campaign, Don’t Delay, Connect Today in 2017 with the purpose of raising awareness around the importance of early diagnosis and access to care – for all.


Don't Delay, Connect Today Life stories
 
 

11-year-old Aran talks about his life living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease
 
 
 

Meet Simon Stones who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, JIA, at the age of three. Today, Simon is undertaking advanced studies at university to obtain a PhD, and speaks about his ability to take action to bring his life onto this track thanks to early diagnosis.

Simon believes in the importance of a collaborative approach between doctors, people including young people and their parents to enable successful outcomes for all. 

 
 

Kate Betteridge was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, RA, at age 13. Her family doctor successfully identified symptoms and within eight weeks an accurate diagnosis was made.

Early diagnosis enabled Kate to go on to fulfil her dream of becoming a journalist and to integrate the management of RA into her life, rather than letting RA dominate her life and passions

 

Watch the "Don't Delay, Connect Today" full video playlist


EULAR PARE Member Organisations' participation

Member organisations of EULAR PARE have taken part in the Don't Delay, Connect Today campaign with a series of activities.

Click the country and scroll down to learn more.

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EULAR activities

‘Don’t Delay, Connect Today’ is a EULAR Campaign that, for the first time, engages all three EULAR pillars – patient organisations (PARE), health professional associations and scientific communities.

Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) often receive delayed or no diagnosis.
Early diagnosis is key to preventing further damage, but RMDs often receive delayed or no diagnosis.This is often due to a lack of awareness, reducing peoples' quality of life and affecting physical abilities.

The EULAR Campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis in preventing further damage to those living with RMDs, and to encourage timely access to evidence-based treatment.


Campaign launch, EULAR Annual Congress 2017, Madrid, Spain

The EULAR Campaign, Don't Delay, Connect Today, was officially launched at the international level during the EULAR Annual Congress in June 2017 in Madrid, Spain. Read the press release by clicking here. To mark the occassion, a publicity stunt was held on 13 June 2017 at the Spanish Atocha Train Station in Madrid. Watch the video here:

 
 



Pre-launch at the Portuguese Parliament, Lisbon, Portugal

A pre-launch event was held at the Portuguese Parliament in February, 2017. A EULAR delegation (image) met with members of the Portuguese Parliament to discuss the urgent need to implement early diagnosis and access to care in RMDs in Portugal. Read the press release by clicking here




Related Information
EULAR Campaigns

EULAR hosts campaigns to help achieve its goal in the area of Advocacy: to increase participation in work by people with RMDs by the year 2023.

Read more


Contact

For more information, contact publicaffairs@eular.org


EULAR PARE sessions at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology

A series of scientific programme sessions were held at the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology around the Campaign Don't delay, Connect Today in order to provide further context to participants.

See playlist


Join the conversation on social media #dontdelay