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Rheumatologists Should Discuss with Patients Use of Immunomodulatory Agents During Pregnancy
The decision to continue or discontinue immunomodulatory medications during pregnancy is a difficult one for both patients and physicians. On the one hand, when left untreated, rheumatic conditions can cause harm to an unborn child, as well as to the pregnant mother. On the other hand, medications can be harmful to a developing fetus. In…
Rheumatology Practices Need Sharp Focus on Patient Care Safety, Quality
“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” —W. Edwards Deming For practices to survive, change is a requirement—not an option—in the rapidly evolving practice of rheumatology care. ad goes here:advert-1ADVERTISEMENTSCROLL TO CONTINUEPharmaceutical therapies are advancing quickly, opening the door for game-changing therapies in the treatment of chronic autoimmune disorders. With these advances…
Why & How Doctors Should Foster Shared Decision Making with Patients
SAN DIEGO—At the ACR/ARHP 2017 Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8, a session on how to promote shared decision making with patients highlighted the role of the multidisciplinary professional team. And perhaps just as importantly, it noted the importance of providers recognizing their own implicit biases, which can get in the way of shared decision making. Presenters…
5 Easy-to-Implement Quality Improvement Projects for Rheumatology Practices
Quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI) work makes sense to focus on. However, finding the time and resources for QI projects is not always easy. Until now, the business case for QI in rheumatology practice has not always been clear. However, this is changing with implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA)…