To that end, the ACR is collaborating with EULAR on several projects related to classification/diagnostic and response criteria as well as outcome measures sets. In particular, the two groups are developing polymyalgia rheumatica classification criteria, myositis classification criteria, and gout response criteria. These documents will be completed in late 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively. In addition, the ACR is participating with EULAR in an RA Trial Reporting Task Force to make recommendations on reporting of disease activity status and response in clinical trials of rheumatoid arthritis.
We can help make the worldwide community a better place for us all by forging a strong international organization with the goal of improving rheumatology in those areas that need it most.
International Education, ACR Journals
It’s no longer a novelty to travel outside one’s own country for world-class education. Consider the more than 4,800 rheumatologists, scientists, and other health professionals from outside the United States who attended the 2006 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC. The ACR waives registration fees for trainees from developing countries, and in 2005 we introduced American Medical Association international CME credits for annual meeting attendees. In addition, opportunities to deliver professional education in other countries are expanding. For example, the ACR planned and implemented review courses for the 2006 and upcoming 2008 PANLAR Congresses, as well as the 2006 biennial APLAR Congress and the 2007 Mexican College of Rheumatology meeting.
ACR leaders serve on the EULAR Scientific Programme Committee, which is responsible for the scientific and educational content of the annual EULAR Congress, and EULAR leaders serve on the ACR’s Annual Meeting Planning Committee. Although both meeting programs are planned independently, the representatives promote collaboration so that the best science is presented at each meeting, ensuring greater access to information.
Through a World Health Organization program, free subscriptions to ACR’s journals – Arthritis & Rheumatism and Arthritis Care & Research – are provided to institutions in underdeveloped countries. In 2006, individuals from outside the United States submitted 1,348 manuscripts to Arthritis & Rheumatism and 382 manuscripts to Arthritis Care & Research.
Residents of a Global Community
Day-to-day, the efforts to advance rheumatology occur at the local level – wherever that may be for each of us. And yet that activity can have a profound effect on the world of rheumatology. As residents of a global community, the ACR and each and every one of you can positively affect our profession and our patients the world over.