Georgia Council on Lupus
Georgia Council on Lupus
Education and Awareness
Education and Awareness
Current Collaborative Research
Current Collaborative Research
Feel free to read the following research articles involved with the work we do at Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness in Atlanta, Georgia:
Georgia Action Plan
Georgia Action Plan
In 2016, the GCLEA and the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter convened a statewide workshop on Lupus called "Lupus is a Public Health Concern". The purpose of the workshop was to learn about lupus, share ideas and resources, and build sustainable relationships. In addition, our goal was to collaborate on an action plan for what the citizens of Georgia can do to increase awareness of lupus, and improve access to care and services for people living with lupus. As a result, this Georgia Action Plan delineates suggestions on what the citizens of this state can do to encourage and facilitate public and private action designed to combat lupus. You can find out more information about the Georgia Action Plan by going to https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.chronicdisease.org/resource/resmgr/lupus/lupus_tools/GCLEA_-_Georgia_Action_Plan_.pdf
Lupus Awareness in Southwest Georgia – Information From the American College of Rheumatology
Lupus Awareness in Southwest Georgia – Information From the American College of Rheumatology
In 2009, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) created The Lupus Initiative (TLI), a national program dedicated to reducing health disparities in lupus. Initial support was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health, Office of Women’s Health, and Office of the Surgeon General.
TLI Overview
TLI Overview
TLI is a multifaceted education program designed to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for people with lupus. The initiative is dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management of lupus in populations disproportionately affected based on race, ethnicity, and gender.
TLI provides teaching and learning resources for healthcare professionals, patients, and supporters. The goals of these educational resources are to increase the number of medical professionals with knowledge and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, lessen missed and misdiagnosis, improve communication toward greater patient adherence to treatment regimens, and increase the number of patients who take an active role in their disease management.
The Role of the ACR
The Role of the ACR
The ACR’s current interventions include increasing awareness and education of healthcare providers and communities in Southwest Georgia, a 38-county section that is constantly impoverished and underserved.
To address the education of non-rheumatology healthcare providers, the ACR is currently carrying out a project where primary providers (i.e. primary care physicians, nursing practitioners, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals) learn to treat a person with lupus on their own or co-manage with a geographically-distant rheumatologist until an appropriate referral can be made.
This takes the form of a live, virtual education series. To address community awareness of lupus in rural and micropolitan areas of Southwest Georgia, the ACR is currently carrying out a lupus awareness campaign aimed at increasing information and decreasing misinformation about lupus for persons with lupus, their caregivers, their loved ones, and the community at large.
Update
Update
LFA GA Supports ACR Lupus Awareness Efforts in Southwest Georgia
LFA GA Supports ACR Lupus Awareness Efforts in Southwest Georgia
In 2016, the Lupus Foundation of America’s Georgia Chapter (LFA GA) partnered with the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) The Lupus Initiative (TLI) to expand its lupus awareness work in 38 counties in Southwest Georgia through funding from the Healthcare Georgia Foundation.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects people of color, especially women, more than any other demographic group. This effort is aimed at increasing people’s understanding of lupus and improving their connection to lupus resources.
More than 500 people responded to community surveys about their level of lupus awareness, informing the intervention in which over 11,000 TLI and LFA GA materials were disseminated across 71 locations in the 38-county region.
Traditional, print, and social media were engaged to increase awareness about lupus’ signs, symptoms, and health-disparate nature. Detailed final results from the intervention will be available on www.thelupusinitiative.org in March 2017.