To help change and improve the current approach to managing osteoarthritis (OA), the Chronic Osteoarthritis Management Initiative (COAMI) Work Group was convened by the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative in May 2012 in Chicago. As a result of the meeting a Call to Action has been issued.

The Work Group members include orthopaedic nurses and surgeons; specialists in rheumatology, rehabilitation and sports medicine; osteopathic physicians; physical therapists; and athletic trainers. AMWA was represented.  The Work Group identified seven priority actions to undertake, with the help of partners in other organizations who share COAMI's goals for improved patient outcomes.

The priority actions include: ·

• developing a Call to Action geared specifically to health care professionals who treat patients with OA, as well as policy makers and the public; 
• developing a Call to Action geared specifically to health care professionals who treat patients with OA, as well as policy makers and the public;
• convening a larger conference that leads to further recommendations that would build agreement across disciplines and specialties within the health care system, so that current inconsistencies in approach could be resolved, and models of care developed; ·
• reaching out to other partners beyond the Work Group members (both existing and new) to include them in future COAMI work; 
• exploring standardized screening tools and indicators of OA to make early diagnosis both more consistent and more likely; 
• developing tools and prompts that promote patient engagement in learning about and managing OA (especially before symptoms become debilitating);  
• lending COAMI's support to existing advocacy and awareness efforts that are already underway; and ·
• developing and supporting an OA-specific research agenda that would fill gaps in evidence and practice.

 

Click here for more information on the call to action, detailed report, slide set, and other resources.