Ease-of-Use Program

The Arthritis Foundation created the Ease-of-Use Program to encourage manufacturers to design user-friendly products and packaging that could be recommended to the millions of people in the world living with arthritis.

The process begins with the manufacturer submitting a product to the Arthritis Foundation for an extensive, scientific evaluation. The sole purpose of this evaluation is to simply determine how easy it is to use a given product for people with arthritis. The testing process is as follows:

• When a product is submitted for testing, it is evaluated under fail or pass conditions. These are performed according to the product type and what its functions are. Other examples of product testing could include opening a lid on a medicine bottle or using the controls of a household kettle.
• An assessment then takes place simulating the use of the product. The people who test the product are none other than individuals that have Arthritis. This testing extends from the opening of the packaging to actual usage to make sure that from start to finish, every step of the process is evaluated for ease of use.
• Finally, a panel of eight testers who have moderate to severe arthritis are evaluated for torque, grip and endurance, muscle strength, pinch force, and range of motion. They are asked to interact with the product as they normally would, opening the packaging, using the product, and utilising its controls. Following this evaluation, an interview is conducted by a group of scientists, and the testers’ feedback is gathered in a real-world setting.

The scientists’ evaluation for the Arthritis Foundation included the following: