During this great event, different Latin American countries were connected and emphasis was placed on the accompaniment and importance of patients in their own education process regarding the rheumatic condition.
Panelists and part of the administrative board of directors of the Foundation for Rheumatic Diseases. Photo: Facebook page of the FER Foundation.
In this version of Reuma Expo 2022, the main focus was on the role of patients in the medical process of care in the specific rheumatological condition, that search for information that leads them to be educated about their own condition and that allows doctors carry out processes directed and focused on the individual needs of each patient, it was also recognized by the patients within the live comments of the event.
Dr. Oscar Soto Raíces, rheumatologist and President of the Rheumatic Diseases Foundation (FER), accompanied by professionals and also members of this foundation, Dr. Rodolfo Concepción, rheumatologist and vice president of FERDr. Paloma Alejandro, rheumatologist and part of the board of directors of FERDr. Amarilis Pérez de Jesús, rheumatologist and part of the board of directors of FER and Dr. Ramón Ortega, past president of the Puerto Rico Association of Rheumatologists.
And a panel of patients, who were sharing their stories, and the impact that doctors, multidisciplinary groups and especially the different foundations and organizations that in Puerto Rico support and help patients in their processes had on their lives, improving the quality of life for those who struggle with these conditions.
They developed different conditions giving recommendations and clarifying doubts that, from their practice, they consider necessary to resolve so that there is knowledge of a better management of the condition, and therefore, an improvement in their quality of life.
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Rheumatoid arthritis
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Osteoarthritis / Osteoarthritis
They urged from different pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis, where Dr. Amarilis Pérez shares that “the goal of treatment is to achieve remission, face the disease and have a patient free of signs and symptoms, to avoid long-term permanent deformities, which make damage to some other organ or, even, subsequent complications that will compromise the quality of life of that patient”, highlighting the commitment of patients and specialists in multidisciplinary care groups.
Likewise, during the program, the importance of follow-up in the case of those patients who have comorbidities and present additional conditions to rheumatic diseases was discussed and emphasized.
As it is in the case of psoriatic arthritis, this is what Dr. Ramón Ortega maintains, who confirms that “patients may have diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, they tend to have cardiovascular disease, we must be monitoring and evaluating to detect if it is silent, there are patients who have liver diseases”, creating bigger health problems and amplifying the factors of morbidity and mortality.
On the other hand, specialists rescue the impact of the drugs that are consumed for some conditions, since these can favor the development of rheumatological conditions, due to the consumption of certain substances within medications that wear down the necessary absorption of elements such as calcium and others. .
This is confirmed by Dr. Ortega, who explains that, “When we take drugs in excess or large quantities that cause the acid in the stomach to dry up, we can generate an atrophy of the gastric mucosa, and we can prevent the absorption of the minerals necessary for the bone”, in the case of patients with osteoporosis or osteoarthritis.
During the second block, ReumaExpo had the presence of leaders from different organizations in favor of patients in Puerto Rico, and also in Latin America, who opened the doors to the discussion between entities, about the goals, projects, activities and events that they have recent benefits for the groups or collectives they represent, emphasizing the possibility of contacting them through the different platforms to obtain and share information according to their ailments, as long as it is necessary.
ReumaExpo2022closed its interventions with total success, the event received a total of live visits of more than 1,200 people connected with the information through the social networks of the Foundation for Rheumatic Diseases –FER– and the Journal of Medicine and Public Health, with more than 300 questions that accompanied this event.