Hot Topics, Fresh Formats: ACR/ARP Annual Meeting Clinical Session Preview

What will you discover in the many clinical science sessions at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting, Nov. 8–13 in Atlanta? Cutting-edge content as always, but presented in fresh ways, says Rebecca L. Manno, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine, Johns Hopkins University’s Division of Rheumatology, Baltimore, who chaired the Meet the Professor/Workshop/Study Group Subcommittee of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee.

“The format this year will be less didactic [than in prior years]. In the Knowledge Bowl, teams will compete for exciting prizes this year,” says Dr. Manno. “At the always popular Thieves Market, people submit unusual cases and images, providing a potpourri of clinical knowledge. We are trying to create a different type of learning environment in this session, too, so it will be more interactive.”

Next-Gen Learning
As more rheumatologists embrace next-generation communications technology—social media, text, mobile learning, video chat, multimedia—the ACR/ARP Annual Meeting has developed session formats to appeal to today’s learners, says Dr. Manno. Educators will learn more about new approaches and technology-enabled tools that more effectively engage and inspire learners, whether they are trainees or patients, she says.

“Education-based sessions are very important to the ACR, and we have an important role in training educators,” she says. Doctors’ Toolbox: Learning to Communicate and Teach “is one session that will show we are no longer in the same realm of learning. There are many different learning formats in contemporary education. We’ll talk about how to communicate and teach using new technology. This also affects how we educate our patients.”

Presenting 4 New Clinical Guidelines
The 2019 Clinical Practice Track will feature the discussion of four newly drafted guidelines, including large vessel vasculitis, ANCA-associated vasculitis, osteoarthritis and gout. To make these sessions more stimulating for the audience, presenters will “not only talk about where these new recommendations came from, but also [present] a wide variety of case examples for clear clinical applications,” Dr. Manno says.

Medical Education Beyond Rheumatology
In 2019, clinical sessions will also explore non-rheumatologic diseases rheumatologists often encounter in their patients. The NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) & Hepatotoxic Medications: What’s a Rheumatologist to Do? session will explore non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis, a disorder causing liver inflammation and cell damage. “Experts will review the medications we can and can’t use with our patients who have this condition,” says Dr. Manno.

A top neurologist will review managing patients with Lessons from Neuromyelitis Optica. Otolaryngologists and vasculitis specialists will discuss cartilage inflammation in relapsing polychondritis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis in the session, Are Your Ears Burning? A session on histiocytic disorders will address new therapies for these rare blood disorders, which may mimic rheumatologic diseases.

“In planning the clinical sessions, a great deal of thought [went] into what we should include,” says Dr. Manno. Her subcommittee’s vision was for “Annual Meeting attendees to be truly up to date on the most current approaches in our field, to hone new skills and explore medically relevant topics. Exciting new information will be revealed for the first time before it is published.”

Visit the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting Online Program to learn more about this year’s clinical sessions.