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Of the more than 100 types of arthritis, most are autoimmune-related (like cancer and multiple sclerosis) and affect the joints in the body, internal organs, and connective tissues. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in Quebec and a significant economic burden related to direct healthcare costs and indirect costs to the economy related to lost employment, sick leave, and absenteeism.

Arthritis today affects one in five or more than 1.5 million Quebec residents. The time to address models of care in arthritis is now after years of being at the back of line of health care planning and delivery. The way people living with arthritis access and receive healthcare varies significantly across Quebec. This particularly affects Quebec voters living with inflammatory arthritis – like rheumatoid arthritis – who depend on getting a timely and accurate diagnosis, fast access to rheumatologists, appropriate public reimbursement for needed disease-modifying medications, among other critical elements of an arthritis model of care.

Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) has asked each political party running in the Quebec provincial election what their government, if elected, would do to improve the level of arthritis prevention, treatment, and care in Quebec.

Any responses received by ACE will be archived and posted as they arrive.

ACE survey and party responses

ACE letter sent to each candidate included: Party responses to survey Individual Candidate Responses*
This section will be updated as we receive responses from individual candidates. Questions Voiced by the Public and Patients with Arthritis
  • Will you consider arthritis a health priority for Quebec and implement high quality, standardized evidence-based models of arthritis care for all Quebec residents?
  • How do you plan to continue and improve virtual care?
  • What will your government do to improve the healthcare and lives of Indigenous peoples living with arthritis in Quebec?
  • Will you take steps to increase the number of rheumatologists and trained arthritis professionals to ensure timely, specialized care for Quebec patients with arthritis?
  • Will you improve joint surgery wait times so that they are within medically recommended guidelines?
Any questions received by ACE will be posted anonymously.

Ways to vote
To make voting easier for all voters, Élections Québec has provided several options, including voting on election day, advance poll and vote by mail.

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