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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Conservative vs. Surgical: What Influences OA Treatment Choices?

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

Prior research has found that the use of surgery to treat osteoarthritis is increasing, while more conservative treatments, such as physical therapy, are underused. This disparity drove researchers to examine what influences a patient’s treatment choice. They found that a treatment’s characteristics—including a patient’s expectations for effectiveness and risk—affect decision making. Other influences: personal investment and circumstances, as well as support and advice from social networks and healthcare providers…

Psoriasis May Carry Atherosclerosis Risk Similar to that with Diabetes

Kathryn Doyle  |  

(Reuters Health)—People with psoriasis may be at increased risk of coronary artery calcium buildup, comparable to that of people with diabetes, according to a new study. Comparing people in their 50s with psoriasis, diabetes or neither disease, researchers found that moderate to severe calcium buildup was about five times as common in people with diabetes…

Patients with Active RA Have Higher Drug Efflux Transporter Activity

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New research examined the peripheral blood in patients with rheumatoid arthritis to investigate the association between disease activity, treatment and the functional activity of ABCB1 and ABCG2 drug efflux transporters. Results showed that transporter activity may correlate with increased disease activity and persist unrelated to treatment for as long as six months in some patients…

What Do Patients Know about Biosimilar Drugs?

Lisa Rapaport, Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters Health)—Many patients haven’t heard of biosimilars, generic versions of complex biotech drugs, and even some who say they’re familiar with these medicines may still be confused about them, a small European survey suggests.1 To see what patients know about biosimilars, researchers analyzed data from online surveys completed by 1,181 patients with irritable bowel disease…

Novartis Bid to Sell New Biosimilar Crimped by U.S. Court Battles

John Miller  |  

ZURICH (Reuters)—Novartis has won U.S. approval for a copy of Amgen’s blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel, but the Swiss drugmaker’s bid to muscle in on the medicine’s $4.7 billion in annual U.S. revenue remains blocked by court battles. Novartis’s Sandoz unit said on Tuesday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Erelzi, its biosimilar copy…

Prepare Now—Not Later—to Meet New Medicare Reimbursement Requirements

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Providers are urged to prepare quickly to meet the new Medicare reimbursement requirements mandated by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). “The first measurement year starts Jan. 1, 2017, so providers need to prepare quickly,” emphasizes William F. Harvey, MD, MSc, Government Affairs Committee chair, American College of Rheumatology (ACR). 2…

How to Maintain HIPAA Compliance

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In 2010, the federal government published a guide, titled Basic Security for the Small Healthcare Practice, complete with best practices and checklists to help small providers achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.1 This year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—following a critical report of its HIPAA compliance audit and enforcement…

Rheumatology Advocates to Visit Capitol Hill

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On Sept. 12–13, a group of more than 100 rheumatologists, rheumatology health professionals and patients will converge on Capitol Hill to take part in advocacy efforts and provide education on issues affecting the rheumatology community. During the 2016 Advocates for Arthritis event, the group will visit more than 100 Congressional offices, says ACR Government Affairs…