Lilly and NRAS Launch New Film for RA Awareness Week to Reveal the True Impact of RA

BASINGSTOKE, England, June 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Survey reveals people with RA don't feel the impact of their disease is understood 

Eli Lilly and Company and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), today announced the launch of a new film, called 'Behind the Smile', to encourage people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to have an open conversation with their doctor or nurse about how they are truly feeling and how their disease impacts their day to day life. To coincide with RA Awareness Week, 'Behind the Smile' aims to increase awareness of the silent struggles, both physical and emotional, that people with RA face on a daily basis as they cope with pain, fatigue and stiff joints and encourage healthcare professionals to listen to what really matters to the individual patient.

The 'Behind the Smile' film is launched to coincide with the results from the new survey by Lilly, RA Matters, which reveals a lack of understanding about the true impact of RA. The survey uncovered that many people with RA don't feel the emotional (60%)^[1] or the physical (49%)^[1] impact of the disease is understood by those around them. To view the 'Behind the Smile' film, please visit http://www.nras.org.uk/behindthesmile.

"This short film aims to illustrate what goes on 'behind the smile' for someone with RA and what they truly may be thinking or feeling beneath the outward appearance of coping," said Clare Jacklin, Director of External Affairs, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), UK. "The film aims to encourage those with RA to open up to those around them including family and work colleagues as well as importantly to have an honest conversation with their doctor or nurse about how the disease truly impacts their everyday life so they [the health professionals] can help provide the best care. The film also holds an important message for the health professionals that while clinic appointments are tight on time and they may have their own targets to meet, prioritising what "matters" to the patient can lead to a far better long-term outcome than just managing the symptoms of the disease. Treat the person not the disease!"