We don't have "Arthritis".
We have Autoimmune Arthritis diseases.

Awareness Hotline

The Awareness Hotline is part one of two we will be launching through 2012. This hotline, The Media Awareness Hotline, is for you to report any article, advertisement, column, broadcast, etc., that you feel is providing false information about any strand of Autoimmune Arthritis*.
Each submission will become a Case File then analyzed among our team to decide the appropriate action: requesting revision, retraction, education. You will be contacted regarding acknowledgement of receipt, periodic updates on progress and a final report on how a resolve has been made.

A Medical Awareness Hotline is scheduled to launch in 2012. It will be for you to report any medical establishment you have visited, such as doctors offices, hospitals, clinics, clinical trial studies, where you feel the staff is grossly misinformed regarding the symptoms, characteristics and/or treatment of Autoimmune Arthritis diseases.

Cases can be as small as a website article that misrepresents the treatment required to combat these diseases to reporting a public figure. For example, on September 23rd, 2011, Dr. Phil McGraw stated on the episode "Overweight or Underfed" that childhood obesity could lead to Rheumatoid Arthritis. IMMEDIATELY following the broadcast, the Media Awareness Hotline team began formulating a Call to Action with the goal to rally at least 500 emails world wide over a 2-3 day period, providing education and requesting a public retraction. The IAAM Media Awareness Hotline team worked nonstop for days, even gaining the attention of MyRACentral, who were planning to feature IAAM in an article on World Arthritis Day, highlighting this very effort. Instead of that article circulating, Dr. Phil retracted publically on his blog- and IAAM started the rally that eventually led to this action.

If you would like to view the letter that was used as a template for hundreds of people world wide to submit to Dr. Phil and the Doctors, please click on the box to the left. A RETRACTION HAS BEEN MADE-PLEASE REFRAIN FROM RESENDING.

SEND A REPORT TO THE MEDIA AWARENESS HOTLINE:

Using the Contact Form below, please provide as much information regarding the publication (article, advertisement, column, broadcast, etc.) that you feel is grossly misrepresenting Autoimmune Arthritis.

Examples of cases we will pursue include:

Inaccurate or false information about the definition, symptoms or treatments of Autoimmune Arthritis.

Publications that discuss arthritis in text of referring to degenerative, or Osteoarthritis (often simply referred to as "arthritis") but suggest an Autoimmune Arthritis disease can be treated in the same way.

Provide as much information as possible, including an links, publication dates, author, and any attempts you have made to get in contact with the source.

*Only submissions for IAAM's classification of Autoimmune Arthritis diseases may be submitted for this hotline. IAAM has worked with a Rheumatology Board to solidify a list of diseases we will classify as Autoimmune Arthritis. Currently these diseases include:

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosis
Still's Disease
Sjogren's Syndrome
Juvenile Arthritis
Mixed and Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases

*Based on our current research, there is no such "official classification" designating diseases as "autoimmune arthritis". It is, however, a term coined by IAAM in an attempt to bring together a group of arthritis diseases that share similar traits, symptoms, treatments, and onset.
Due to the lack of any scientific classification standards, we have developed a punch list of criteria we have used to designate a true "Autoimmune Arthritis". This includes, but is not limited to primary joint involvement in 90%+ of all reported cases, autoimmune, inflammatory, systemic (full body)-involving connective and soft tissues and sometimes organs, fatigue/nausea/fevers, similar treatment plans. As of this point in time, the Rheumatology Board and IAAM has chosen to only include those diseases that are thought to be genetic and or environmentally/trauma induced. Infectious diseases are not included.

We are continuing to research and investigate other diseases that may fall under our classification criteria. If you would like to submit a disease you feel meets all of the current classification criteria listed above, we'd be happy to hear from you at info@IAAMovement.org.

Media Awareness Hotline

If you feel you have discovered something in the media, whether online, in publication, or during broadcast, that warrants IAAM to investigate the possibility that misinformation about Autoimmune Arthritis is being sent to the public, please fill out this form below. We will not respond to every request, although every submission is read and considered for further investigation and action. If we choose your submission to act on, we will notify you and keep you informed on any progress.

First Name: *
Last Name:
Province/Country *
Email: *
Please check ONE box from the options on the right:	I have already attempted to make contact with this source and received no response. I have already attempted to make contact with this source and receive an unsatisfactory response. I have not attempted to make contact with the source in question.
If you have made contact with this source, who have you spoken to, what is their title (if known) and please explain what actions (if any) has been taken.:
Please check the type of Media you are reporting as misrepresenting Autoimmune Arthritis: *
Please provide as much information as you can, including any links to the Media in question, date/month of any publication, etc. BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE.

Privacy: All contact information, including email addresses, will not be shared with any other organization.

We rely largely on donations to keep our programs and initiatives going. Thank you for your support!

Content copyright . Content on this site was created by patients and caregivers affected by autoimmune arthritis and information obtained from other nonprofit organizations that advocate for Autoimmune Arthritis. The term "Autoimmune Arthritis" is pending international trademark, circa use in commerce 2010.
Information is not intended to be used as medical advice, but rather to complement current information about the diseases represented. Information is intended to be used by patients, caregivers, and supporters who are learning more about raising awareness, patient and caregiver experiences, and wellness options. Please consult a physician to obtain personal healthcare and treatment options. The "Buckle Me Up!" International Autoimmune Arthritis MovementAll rights reserved.
Contact IAAM at info@IAAMovement.org. Address: 646 S. Barrington Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90049. 1-877-609-IAAM (4226).

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Awareness Hotline