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

REF: Looking at Recent Achievements and FInding Inspiration for the Future

E. William St.Clair, MD  |  

As the term of my presidency at the ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) comes to an end, it’s a good time to reflect on the past two years. While it’s important to recognize the REF’s milestones and major achievements—and I will do that in a moment—great work is being done every day by rheumatologists, healthcare professionals, and investigators. It is their goal to improve the treatment and care of people impacted by rheumatic disease, and it’s our mission to provide them with the resources to support their efforts.

REF Volunteer Brings Passion for Communicating to New Program

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When the ACR REF recently sent out a call for volunteers for the newly created From the Field speakers’ bureau, Alan W. Friedman, MD, responded right away. “It’s exactly what I’ve been doing all along,” he says. “I want to bring my enthusiasm for the cause to other people.”

MUEs and Muscular Ultrasound Guidance: An Unlikely Story

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Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) were launched on January 1, 2007 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the paid claims error rate for Medicare Part B claims. The function of MUEs is to detect and deny unlikely CMS claims for a Medicare patient on a single, 24-hour date of service on a prepayment basis. This is achieved by limiting the frequency of services provided by a physician or medical supply company.

Learn How the ACR is Advancing Rheumatology on Capitol Hill

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While you are at the 2011 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting learning about the latest advancements in rheumatologic care, stop by the Advocacy kiosk at the ACR Resource Center to discuss the latest developments in health policy. Currently, medicine is on the verge of great change with Congress discussing everything from physician payment reform to cuts to biomedical research and medical liability reform. The ACR advocates on behalf of the rheumatology profession and our patients and is actively pursuing the following issues:

Back Pain and the Role of the Physical Therapist

Andrew A. Guccione, PT, PhD and Jan K. Richardson, PT, PhD, OCS  |  

Back pain is a common occurrence, so much so that most adults will have at least one episode of back pain at some point in their lives. Fortunately, most of these episodes last only a few days and resolve if patients maintain normal activity levels, avoid the detrimental effects of too much bed rest, use over-the-counter pain relievers with caution, and seek the attention of a health professional if the pain or other symptoms persist or worsen over time.