The REUMAVID study is echoed in Portugal. In 2020, the 23º Foro de Apoyo al Paciente Reumático – New Challenges was held by the Liga Portuguesa Contra Doenças Reumáticas (LPCDR).
The forum, with a total of eight sessions, addressed issues related to the diagnosis, management and prevention of rheumatic diseases. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the forum was held for the first time in webinar format, through the LPCDR’s Youtube channel. Its topic was the Impact of COVID-19 on People with Rheumatic Diseases.
The session on 14 December was opened by Elsa Frazão Mateus, president of the LPCDR and member of the REUMAVID working group, who presented the methodology and results of the first phase of the study to the audience.
During the session, Elsa Frazão pointed out the impact of the pandemic on the health of European patients in general and Portuguese patients in particular, but highlighted the role of patient associations. In her words, «Members of patient associations were noted for having a better lifestyle and greater wellbeing, which demonstrates the value of the work carried out by patient associations».
Link to the session: https://youtu.be/h2c99Dv9S3k
