AB1691-PARE GENERE DONNA – THE EVOLUTION OF THE ITALIAN COMMUNICATION PROJECT ON GENDER-SPECIFIC MEDICINE SUPPORTING PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOLOGIC AND DERMATOLOGIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
Authors: L. Faravelli, A. Celano, V. Corazza, S. Tonolo, I. Agresta, P. Grossi
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2024)

<h3>Background:</h3> In autoimmune diseases (AD), particularly rheumatic and dermatologic ones, Gender makes the difference. Among millions of people affected worldwide, 80% are women [1]. AD can arise in childbearing age and can impact negatively different sides of life and its overall quality, both for the people affected, their families and caregivers. Knowledge on Gender-based Medicine and the importance of a gender approach in Public Health (PH) need to be improved, promoting AD Patients' empowerment. Women in Italy can count on Genere Donna, the awareness campaign born in 2021 from the close teamwork of the main Italian patients' associations ANMAR (Associazione Nazionale Malati Reumatici Onlus), APMARR (Associazione Nazionale Persone con Malattie Reumatologiche e Rare aps) and APIAFCO (Associazione Psoriasici Italiani Amici della Fondazione Corazza) and some authoritative experts in AD (5 physicians and a welfare expert). <h3>Objectives:</h3> To improve knowledge on Gender-specific Medicine, to promote patients' empowerment and the importance of a gender approach in PH also involving PH and Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Representatives and Patients directly, to highlight unmet needs and to share knowledge, becoming more and more a reliable point of reference for Patients, together with spreading update and clear information, validated by experts, about Gender-specific Medicine and rheumatic and dermatologic ADs. <h3>Methods:</h3> Improve contents available on the website highlighting the PH Best Practices in Gender-specific Medicine; strengthen relationships with the Scientific community involving Representatives and being present at their Congresses; foster the direct support from Patients; maintain the accuracy of contents made available. <h3>Results:</h3> Compared to the data presented at EULAR23: +43% website users (280K, 71% female) +31% Reach on social media (9.6Mln), +67% interactions on social media (670K), +9.5% social media community (30K people). Questions received through the "Ask the Expert" service: +27% (289). Sixteen PH and HC Representatives and 4 patients involved producing 20 videos and 22 articles published as Best Practice contents. Moreover, Genere Donna added the patronage from CReI, Collegio dei Reumatologi Italiani (Collegium of Italian Rheumatologists) to the ones from SIR-Società Italiana di Reumatologia (Italian Society of Rheumatology) and SIDeMaST, Società Italiana di Dermatologia e Malattie Sessualmente Trasmesse (Italian Society of Dermatology). In 2023 Genere Donna was present (oral presentation or poster) at 6 National and International scientific meetings. <h3>Conclusion:</h3> The good results reached up to now and the positive feedbacks from Patients, the Scientific Community and PH Representatives drive the project ahead in the future, to improve empowerment of Patients affected by rheumatic and dermatologic ADs and to become more and more a relevant point of reference on Gender-specific Medicine and ADs on the web. <h3>REFERENCES:</h3> [1] Carlo Selmi, Fortissime per natura. Piemme, 2020. <h3>Acknowledgements:</h3> Genere Donna counts on an educational grant from UCB Pharma Italy, main sponsor, and Terme di Comano other sponsor. <h3>Disclosure of Interests:</h3> <b>None declared.</b>