“Go With Us!” Patient-Led Debrief: Key Highlights from ACR and EULAR 2025
The “Go With Us!” Debrief marked the first annual end-of-year/beginning-of-year reflection on AiArthritis’ conference programming, bringing together patient leaders, advocates, and experts to unpack vital information from the two largest rheumatology conferences of the year - ACR - The American College of Rheumatology Convergence in Chicago IL, and EULAR - European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology Congress in Barcelona, Spain. We highlight where rheumatology is heading— and how lessons learned can be applied to patient journeys - through the lens of lived experience, emerging science, and advocacy.
This debrief reinforced a central message: progress in AiArthritis disease care depends on early diagnosis, personalized treatment, whole-person care, and strong patient voices shaping research.
Panelists included:
- Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, CEO and Founder of AiArthritis, who lives with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
- Leila P.L. Valete, Health Education Manager at AiArthritis, living with lupus and Sjögren’s disease
- Eileen Davidson, Educational Media Assistant at AiArthritis, living with rheumatoid arthritis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis
- Vanessa Lathan, Grassroots Advocacy Manager at AiArthritis, living with Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)
Tiffany also acknowledged Deb Costen for her role in building and sustaining the “Go With Us” program.
Watch The Full Debrief Webinar
Non-Pharmaceutical and Integrative Care: Beyond Medication
Eileen Davidson highlighted the growing focus on non-pharmaceutical and integrative approaches discussed across conference sessions. These included lifestyle interventions that complement medical treatment rather than replace it.
Key themes included:
- Mediterranean diet as a sustainable, evidence-supported approach linked to reduced inflammation
- Physical activity and movement, emphasizing individualized plans that align with patient preferences, access, and ability
- The role of exercise in improving medication effectiveness, managing comorbidities, and supporting mental health
- The discussion underscored that lifestyle care should be practical, accessible, and personalized—not prescriptive or one-size-fits-all.
Stress, Mental Health, and the Missing Piece of AiArthritis Disease Care
Stress and mental health emerged as critical—and still under-addressed—drivers of disease outcomes. Eileen discussed how chronic stress fuels inflammation and worsens symptoms, while Leila emphasized the benefits of therapy and structured mental health support.
Key takeaways included:
- Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and grief are under-diagnosed and under-treated in autoimmune and inflammatory arthritis
- Stress management strategies—exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy—can meaningfully reduce disease burden
- There is a need for rheumatology care teams to recognize mental health as part of routine disease management, not an afterthought
- The panel also discussed the dual role of medications such as SSRIs and SNRIs in supporting both mood and pain management for some patients.
Cannabis, Pain, and Health Literacy
Cannabis use in AiArthritis disease care continues to rise, and Eileen addressed this topic with a focus on education and safety. She emphasized the importance of reputable sources, understanding dosing, and acknowledging risks such as dependency or overuse.
Highlights included:
- Increasing patient interest in cannabis for pain and symptom management
- The importance of health literacy when discussing THC, CBD, and combination products
- The need for clinicians to engage in open, non-judgmental conversations with patients
Advocacy and Policy: Why Engagement Matters
Vanessa Lathan focused on the role of advocacy in improving access, affordability, and long-term outcomes for people living with arthritis.
Key advocacy themes included:
- Policy decisions directly affect treatment access, insurance coverage, and the healthcare workforce
- Issues such as Medicare Advantage barriers and student loan challenges for providers impact patient care
- Advocacy is not limited to policymakers—patients, caregivers, and clinicians all play a role through small, collective actions
Vanessa emphasized the importance of inclusive, global advocacy that prioritizes health equity and addresses environmental and social determinants of health.
Discover the AiArthritis Knowledge = Empowerment Classroom, a patient-led initiative designed to educate and empower individuals affected by autoimmune and autoinflammatory arthritis. Learn about healthcare policies, treatment access, and advocacy opportunities to make a meaningful impact in your community!
Precision Medicine, Comorbidities, and the Future of Treatment
Tiffany Westrich-Robertson discussed advancements in precision medicine, disease-specific research, and the growing focus on comorbidities.
Key highlights included:
- Progress in CAR T-cell therapy, including exploration of mass-produced donor cells to improve access and reduce cost
- Continued focus on B-cell targeting approaches, particularly for refractory or difficult-to-treat disease and more biomarker studies that find targeted treatments
- Disease-specific research advancements in lupus, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, Still’s Disease (including the introduction of ‘Still’s Lung’, and one session on the impacts of enthesitis - largely associated with the spondyloarthritis diseases and different than joint pain, as it’s inflammation where the tendons and ligaments meet the bone
- Increased attention to comorbid conditions such as lung disease and cardiovascular health
These developments point toward more targeted, individualized care—but also underscore the need for equitable access.
Discover more about these advancements:
- 3 Groundbreaking CAR-T Therapy Studies You Need to Know About
- Could CAR-T Cell Therapy Reset the Immune System? (EULAR 2025)
- Go With Us! to EULAR 2025: What’s Really Causing Enthesitis—and Why It Matters
- Go With Us! to EULAR 2025: Hope for Difficult-to-Treat RA—New Therapies Explained
- Go With Us! to EULAR 2025: Can We Prevent RA? New Studies Offer Hope
Early Diagnosis and Personalized Care
Leila Valete closed the thematic discussions by emphasizing early diagnosis and disease-specific research. She highlighted the importance of recognizing symptoms before traditional biomarkers appear and tailoring treatment early to improve long-term outcomes.
Key points included:
- Advances in Sjögren’s disease research, including biologics and AI-supported diagnostic tools
- Progress in understanding and treating IgG4-related disease, including recent FDA approvals
- The need for continued awareness, education, and personalized approaches across less-recognized conditions.
Looking Ahead: Feedback, Community, and What’s Next
The session concluded with a call to action. Participants were encouraged to complete the post-debrief survey, share feedback, and stay engaged with future “Go With Us” programming. Tiffany emphasized the importance of community input in shaping future topics and expressed excitement about potential in-person connections at EULAR 2026 in London.
AiArthritis also committed to sharing debrief videos, transcripts, and resources discussed during the session, and to supporting attendees interested in advocacy and policy engagement.
Final Thought
The “Go With Us!” Debrief made one thing clear: progress in arthritis care happens when science, lived experience, advocacy, and education move forward together. As AiArthritis continues this work, patient voices will remain central—not as an afterthought, but as a driving force for change.
Thank you to our sponsors, Bristol Myers Squibb and Amgen Rare, for their support in making the meeting possible.
