Guiding Principles
Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) honors a clear and consistent commitment to its members and subscribers, academic and healthcare professional colleagues, sponsors, government and the public that guides our work. Our work specifically addresses the needs and experiences of people living with arthritis and is informed by research and carried out independently of undue financial influence.
As ACE’s programs and partnerships evolve to meet growing patient needs and a changing health system, ACE remains committed to upholding the highest standards of lawful, ethical and transparent behaviour. To guide ACE, we follow a thoughtful and informed set of guiding principles:
Advocacy Independence and Editorial Control
Arthritis Consumer Experts retains full and sole control over its mission, priorities, program design, content development, research activities, policy positions, and educational outputs. ACE develops positions on health policy, products, or services in collaboration with people living with arthritis, the academic research community, healthcare providers and governments. These positions are established free from concern, constraint, or direction from funding influence.
Integrity of Research and Educational Activities
Arthritis Consumer Experts designs and delivers research, education and patient insight initiatives, including surveys, reports, webinars, and policy briefs, based on evidence and lived experience. Outcomes, findings, and recommendations are reported accurately and without influence from funders or partners.
Transparency and Disclosure
Arthritis Consumer Experts publicly discloses all funding sources across its programs, publications, websites, and educational activities. Funding acknowledgements are factual, non-promotional, and clearly distinguish support from content creation or advocacy.
As part of its commitment to transparency, ACE discloses its funding supporters on its website and in relevant materials. To reflect differing levels of program engagement, ACE applies a graduated approach to acknowledgement:
Non-Promotional Standards
Arthritis Consumer Experts does not promote, market, or endorse any brand, product, therapy, or commercial service in its materials, communications, or educational activities.
ACE does not permit product branding, promotional messaging, or comparative claims in any ACE-led program or publication.
Funding and Partnership Models
Funding relationships are governed by ACE’s commitment to independence, transparency, and patient leadership. Funding supports the delivery of ACE programming and does not influence ACE’s priorities, content, analysis, or conclusions. Arthritis Consumer Experts may receive financial support from public and private organizations through different models:
General or annual funding support, provided to support ACE’s mission and core operations, where ACE retains full independence over the allocation and use of funds, and where such support does not influence ACE’s priorities, programming, advocacy positions, or conclusions.
Educational grants, including programs identified as “Supported by an educational grant from [Organization]”, where ACE retains full editorial control over program design, content, speakers, analysis, and conclusions, with transparent acknowledgement and outcomes reporting.
Program-level funding support for ACE programs, which may include support from one or more organizations for defined, patient-focused initiatives, while ACE retains full editorial independence and decision-making authority.
These models are designed to support clearly defined ACE programming while preserving full editorial independence. In all cases, funding support does not constitute endorsement of any organization, product, therapy, or commercial interest by ACE.
Conflict of Interest and Ethical Conduct
Arthritis Consumer Experts employees do not receive equity interests, personal financial benefit, or in-kind support from any health-related organization. Arthritis Consumer Experts employees do not engage in personal or paid relationships with its Canada-based funders that could create a real or perceived conflict of interest.
Disclosures
Over the past 12 months, ACE received financial and in-kind support from: Amgen Canada, Arthritis Research Canada, Arthritis Society Canada, AstraZeneca Canada, Biogen Canada, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Celltrion Healthcare Canada, JAMP Pharma, McMaster University, Organon Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada, UCB Canada, and the University of British Columbia.
Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) honors a clear and consistent commitment to its members and subscribers, academic and healthcare professional colleagues, sponsors, government and the public that guides our work. Our work specifically addresses the needs and experiences of people living with arthritis and is informed by research and carried out independently of undue financial influence.
As ACE’s programs and partnerships evolve to meet growing patient needs and a changing health system, ACE remains committed to upholding the highest standards of lawful, ethical and transparent behaviour. To guide ACE, we follow a thoughtful and informed set of guiding principles:
Advocacy Independence and Editorial Control
Arthritis Consumer Experts retains full and sole control over its mission, priorities, program design, content development, research activities, policy positions, and educational outputs. ACE develops positions on health policy, products, or services in collaboration with people living with arthritis, the academic research community, healthcare providers and governments. These positions are established free from concern, constraint, or direction from funding influence.
Integrity of Research and Educational Activities
Arthritis Consumer Experts designs and delivers research, education and patient insight initiatives, including surveys, reports, webinars, and policy briefs, based on evidence and lived experience. Outcomes, findings, and recommendations are reported accurately and without influence from funders or partners.
Transparency and Disclosure
Arthritis Consumer Experts publicly discloses all funding sources across its programs, publications, websites, and educational activities. Funding acknowledgements are factual, non-promotional, and clearly distinguish support from content creation or advocacy.
As part of its commitment to transparency, ACE discloses its funding supporters on its website and in relevant materials. To reflect differing levels of program engagement, ACE applies a graduated approach to acknowledgement:
- Organizations providing general or annual support are acknowledged by name in the “Disclosures” section on ACE’s website and in all public presentations.
- Organizations providing strong or educational grants are acknowledged by name in the “Disclosures” section on ACE’s website and in all public presentations and may receive specific acknowledgement within clearly designated disclosure sections in program materials.
Non-Promotional Standards
Arthritis Consumer Experts does not promote, market, or endorse any brand, product, therapy, or commercial service in its materials, communications, or educational activities.
ACE does not permit product branding, promotional messaging, or comparative claims in any ACE-led program or publication.
Funding and Partnership Models
Funding relationships are governed by ACE’s commitment to independence, transparency, and patient leadership. Funding supports the delivery of ACE programming and does not influence ACE’s priorities, content, analysis, or conclusions. Arthritis Consumer Experts may receive financial support from public and private organizations through different models:
General or annual funding support, provided to support ACE’s mission and core operations, where ACE retains full independence over the allocation and use of funds, and where such support does not influence ACE’s priorities, programming, advocacy positions, or conclusions.
Educational grants, including programs identified as “Supported by an educational grant from [Organization]”, where ACE retains full editorial control over program design, content, speakers, analysis, and conclusions, with transparent acknowledgement and outcomes reporting.
Program-level funding support for ACE programs, which may include support from one or more organizations for defined, patient-focused initiatives, while ACE retains full editorial independence and decision-making authority.
These models are designed to support clearly defined ACE programming while preserving full editorial independence. In all cases, funding support does not constitute endorsement of any organization, product, therapy, or commercial interest by ACE.
Conflict of Interest and Ethical Conduct
Arthritis Consumer Experts employees do not receive equity interests, personal financial benefit, or in-kind support from any health-related organization. Arthritis Consumer Experts employees do not engage in personal or paid relationships with its Canada-based funders that could create a real or perceived conflict of interest.
Disclosures
Over the past 12 months, ACE received financial and in-kind support from: Amgen Canada, Arthritis Research Canada, Arthritis Society Canada, AstraZeneca Canada, Biogen Canada, Canadian Rheumatology Association, Celltrion Healthcare Canada, JAMP Pharma, McMaster University, Organon Canada, Pfizer Canada, Sandoz Canada, UCB Canada, and the University of British Columbia.
Arthritis Consumer Experts
ACE thanks Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) for its scientific review of ACE and JointHealth™ information and education programs.