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Our Research

Arthritis is serious. And so is our commitment to finding answers.

What We're Working On Right Now

Improving quality of arthritis care for Indigenous populations

In Indigenous populations in Canada, severe inflammatory arthritis (including, but not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis) stands out as the most common chronic condition. We did this research to:

  1. Describe the impact of inflammatory arthritis on mortality, health services use, and societal cost in the Indigenous populations of Canada
  2. Determine Indigenous patient preferences for inflammatory arthritis care and treatment
  3. Develop tools to assist Indigenous patients and their health care providers to agree on treatment choices, expectations and values when discussing proven treatment options for inflammatory arthritis therapy.
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Development of a new life expectancy and quality of life prediction model for Canadians

The potential of life expectancy calculators and risk prediction models to improve individual and population health is important. However, existing prediction models have limitations – for example, they are often restricted to a single condition (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) and a limited number of risk factors. We conducted this research to develop a new life expectancy model for Canadians, the Canadian Risk and Health Manager (CHaRM), to overcome these limitations. Our goals were that the CHaRM model would:

  1. Predict the risk of death and estimate how long people might live; and
  2. Give information on how various health risks together can impact a person’s life expectancy.

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ChatRheum: Developing a Chatbot for Answering Rheumatology-Related Questions

Many people in Canada can’t receive timely care from a rheumatologist because there aren’t enough specialists to meet the growing demand. This research project aims to help this problem by developing a chatbot, called ChatRheum, that can accurately answer patients’ questions about rheumatology.

This research is important because if the chatbot can provide patients with accurate, easy-to-understand, and compassionate answers, it could reduce the time doctors spend answering basic questions. This will free up time for rheumatologists to see more patients more quickly. This could shorten wait times, improve access to care, and make our health system in Canada more efficient.

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What We Study

Arthritis Research Canada is a national hub for patient-centred arthritis research, bringing together researchers, clinicians, trainees, and communities to turn rigorous, multi-disciplinary evidence into better care. Every study we conduct meets the highest standards of scientific excellence and is grounded in the real experiences of people living with arthritis and rheumatic diseases.

Our research is organized into six areas of focus, each one a pathway to better prevention, earlier diagnosis, improved treatment, and a higher quality of life for people living with arthritis across Canada. Select a category to explore the studies within it.

Prevention of Arthritis & Complications

Research focused on reducing the risk of developing arthritis and on evaluating or preventing complications of arthritis and other rheumatic diseases throughout one’s lifespan.

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Health Habits & Wellbeing

Research focused on supporting people to live well with arthritis and on reducing the disease’s impact on everyday life. This work develops and tests practical, evidence-based strategies to address fatigue and pain, promote physical activity, improve sleep, and support mental health. It helps people sustain meaningful hobbies, work and family roles by strengthening the skills they need to manage their health and maintain quality of life.

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Treatments & Medications

Research focused on evaluating how arthritis is treated. This includes evaluating non-pharmacological treatments, the safety and effectiveness of medications, their long-term impact on health outcomes, and comparing treatment options. It also supports informed shared decision-making between patients and clinicians through tools such as decision aids and treatment guidelines.

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Arthritis Care

Research focused on improving arthritis care. This includes improving early diagnosis, studying novel ways of delivering care to better meet patients’ needs, measuring and improving the quality of care delivered, and reducing inequities in health care and health outcomes, so that timely high-quality care is available for all.

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Health Systems, Policies & Economics

Research that examines and improves how arthritis-related healthcare and supports are organized, funded, accessed, and delivered at the system level. This includes research evaluating health and social policies, health system initiatives to improve access, efficiency, quality, and equity of care, as well as health economic analyses.

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Innovative Research Methods

Research that improves how arthritis research is designed, conducted, measured, and shared. This includes developing new tools, classification criteria, data analysis methods, technologies, and approaches that strengthen the quality, diversity, inclusiveness, and impact of research.

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Research That Moves People

Every study on this page is a step toward preventing arthritis, catching it earlier, treating it better, and helping people live well.

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