Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD, was born and raised in eastern Kentucky, where she first cultivated her love of literature, writing and personal narratives. She attended Kenyon college, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, summa cum laude. She worked with individuals with psychiatric conditions and later in a neuroscience lab at the University of Illinois, Chicago, before graduating from Indiana University Medical School in 2011. Instead of pursuing clinical medicine, Ruth opted to build on her strength of clearly explaining medical topics though a career as a freelance medical writer, writing both for lay people and for health professionals. She writes across the biomedical sciences, but holds strong interests in rheumatology, neurology, autoimmune diseases, genetics, and the intersection of broader social, cultural and emotional contexts with biomedical topics. Ruth now lives in Bloomington, Ind., with her husband, son and cat. She can be contacted via her website at ruthjessenhickman.com.
Two new ACR Clinical Practice Guidelines provide recommendations on the pharmacologic management of JIA, focusing on treatment of oligoarthritis, temporomandibular arthritis & systemic JIA, as well as nonpharmacologic therapies, medication monitoring, immunizations & imaging.... [Read More]
A soon-to-be published guideline from the ACR and the Vasculitis Foundation on Kawasaki disease underscores the importance of early diagnosis and intensified treatment for people with this serious condition.1 Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) remains the treatment mainstay, and prompt, aggressive treatment may be able to reduce the risk of serious complications in some patients. The guideline… [Read More]
Two sessions at ACR Convergence 2021 addressed a holistic approach to taking care of older patients with RA & other rheumatic diseases.... [Read More]
On Nov. 3, the inaugural, virtual Global Rheumatology Summit brought together specialists from all over the world to share critical expertise on global health issues related to rheumatology. ... [Read More]
At a recent ACR town hall, panelists described immune responses and side effects of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with rheumatic disease, along with ways to leverage monoclonal antibody treatments, especially in light of virus variants. ... [Read More]
With a large percentage of the U.S. population unsure whether they will get vaccinated against COVID-19, rheumatology patients remain vulnerable. On May 13, the ACR hosted a virtual town hall highlighting ways rheumatology providers might effectively approach their patients who have not yet decided to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Get the Slow Yes At the… [Read More]
On May 6, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Arthritis Advisory Committee narrowly voted in support of avacopan, a C5a receptor inhibitor, for the treatment of adult patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis. Although the panelists were excited about the possibility of a steroid-sparing therapy, some raised questions about whether results from… [Read More]
A delayed second dose of an mRNA vaccine may provide better protection against COVID-19 in elderly patients.... [Read More]
The ACR’s May 13 virtual town hall highlighted effective approaches rheumatology providers can take to convince patients to be vaccinated against COVID-19.... [Read More]
Over the past 18 months, the ACR’s Quality of Care (QOC) Committee has helped produce an impressive number of resources that will help rheumatologists deliver the best possible care. Working through specific projects supervised under its Criteria, Guideline, Guidance, and Quality Measure subcommittees, the QOC Committee has developed new sets of disease criteria, clinical guidelines,… [Read More]