Meeting the needs of people with arthritis: quality of life programs of the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation's Quality of Life Action Plan (Brady et al., 1993) is a strategic planning document that provides direction for service and education initiatives through the year 2000. This plan is a guide for the fulfillment of the quality of life aspect of the Arthritis Foundation's Mission Statement: "To support research to find the cure for and prevention of arthritis and to improve the quality of life for those affected by arthritis." The plan is based on documented needs and challenges that affect the quality of life of people with arthritis, with a focus on physical, psychosocial, and economic issues. This article provides a review of these issues and describes the types of services that the Arthritis Foundation provides to help people with arthritis effectively deal with these problems.