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
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11-year-old Aran talks about his life living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease |
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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. |
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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.
The Netherlands
The Don’t Delay, Connect Today is being implemented in Netherlands through a series of activities within 2018 until January 2019 organised by National Association ReumaZorg Nederland.
Multiple meetings and symposia will be organised on the importance of early prediction of RMDs, warning symptoms, the practise and novelties in treatment and how to communicate with the doctor, will be organised in collaboration with rheumatologists, health professional, physicians and other stakeholders.
The aims of the campaign are to inform the general public, the people of RMDs and the rheumatologists about the importance of early diagnosis of RMDs, access to treatment in order to prevent further damage and burden on individuals and society, how to reach specific age groups in the general population, how to break down the barriers that delay early diagnosis and how to strengthen patients in their communication with their doctors. A film will be made included the above activities.
On March 22 2018 an article with information on early diagnosis on RMD rheumatoid arthritis has been published in the popular newspaper de Telegraaf, with approximately 189.000 readers.
For more information, please visit www.reumazorgnederland.nl or access contact details 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.
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.
Join the conversation on social media #dontdelay