Chronic diseases such as dementia and arthritis are the leading causes of decreased mobility in Canadians aged 65 and over. Arthritis alone affects 4.6 million Canadians and it is estimated that one new case of dementia is detected every 4 seconds. The impact of these diseases on an older adult’s quality of life can be devastating, even fatal if not treated appropriately.
The good news is that the health of older Canadians could improve drastically if we simply act on what is known today. There have been major advances in knowledge of how to keep the brain and joints healthy but, despite this, proven ways to prevent these diseases (e.g. regular exercise) and treatments (e.g. weight management) are not being used to best effect.
A new team of health researchers and computer scientists called ICON* has come together to develop innovative technologies (e.g., mobile apps, wearable health tracking devices) that will support people to put the best evidence on brain and joint health into action in their everyday lives.
*ICON: Improving Cognitive and Joint Health Network
Scientific posters presented about this network include:
Examining Perceived Risk Factors of Arthritis: Findings from a Public Opinion Survey Presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Lake Louise, AB, February 2016
Crowdsourcing priority setting: A survey of Canadian’s priorities and views about using digital media in arthritis prevention and treatment Presented at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting, Quebec City, February 2015
Reports from this network include:
ICON Year 1 Meeting Report July 24-25 2014
ICON Year 1 Meeting Report – Executive Summary July 24-25 2014
ICON Year 2 Report August 2014-June 2016
ICON Year 3 Meeting Report October 20-21 2016
Co-Principal Investigators:
Linda Li, University of British Columbia, Arthritis Research Centre of Canada
Teresa Liu-Ambrose, University of British Columbia
John Esdaile, University of British Columbia, Arthritis Research Centre of Canada
Diane Gromala, Simon Fraser University
Co-Investigators:
Chris Shaw, Simon Fraser University
Richard Smith, Centre for Digital Media, Simon Fraser University
France Legare, University of Laval
Sharon Straus, University of Toronto
Allyson Jones, University of Alberta
Paul Adam
Collaborators:
Cheryl Koehn, Arthritis Consumer Experts
Leslie Soever, Arthritis Health Professions Association
Alzheimer’s Society of BC
CARP (Canadian Association of Retired Persons)