Hacking Arthritis: Innovation and Adaptation in Daily Life

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Objectives The Hacking Arthritis project aimed to explore how people living with arthritis adapt to maintain independence, participation, and well-being in daily life. Guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model, the study sought to identify practical, patient-driven strategies that support self-management and participation in meaningful activities. It also aimed to understand how creativity, community support, and systemic factors influence adaptation. Ultimately, the project intended to generate patient-led insights to inform occupational therapy (OT) practice, inclusive design, and broader approaches to arthritis care. Methods This initiative synthesized qualitative findings from multiple Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA) projects led by occupational therapy students. which employed qualitative designs (eg, photovoice) and quantitative design involving an online survey. Participants were individuals living with different forms of arthritis who shared personal stories, photographs, and adaptive “life hacks” demonstrating how they navigate daily challenges. To synthesize the data, we conducted an interpretive, cross-project analysis that merged the qualitative themes generated identifying convergent ideas around adaptation, creativity, and participation. Thematic analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke’s (2012) framework and informed by the PEO model to examine how personal, environmental, and occupational factors intersect to support or hinder participation. Results Findings highlighted that people living with arthritis experience functional limitations in a wide range of tasks and occupations, yet they exhibited creativity and resilience when adapting to daily life despite a range of PEO barriers: - Person: Participants reframed loss into adaptation, using creativity as empowerment and self-expression. Emotional resilience, acceptance, and humor were key to sustaining mental health. - Environment: Peer networks, community programs, and digital spaces provided vital social and emotional support, while barriers such as limited OT access, high equipment costs, and stigma persisted. - Occupation: Engagement in meaningful activity—through adaptive tools, modified routines, or personalized strategies—was central to maintaining identity and autonomy. Incremental successes in everyday tasks reinforced confidence and control. Conclusion The Hacking Arthritis project demonstrates the power of patient-driven, co-creative approaches that center lived experience in arthritis care. It shows how people with arthritis can struggle with tasks but that those that were interviewed were creative in adapting daily tasks. CAPA will continue to find ways to support people living with arthritis in collaboration with occupational therapists, designers, makers, and others and will add to its repository of tools and life hacks on its website,[1] to provide practical hands-on tools and advice for people with arthritis to live independently. References [1.] Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance. https://arthritispatient.ca/en/managing-daily-life/#lifehacks

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