Tom Collins is a freelance writer in South Florida, who has written about medical topics from nasty infections to ethical dilemmas, runaway tumors to tornado-chasing doctors. He travels the globe gathering conference health news and lives in West Palm Beach.
CHICAGO—Choosing a treatment for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) involves an array of factors, from the antibodies present to their titers to other risk factors, said Lisa Sammaritano, MD, during a guided tour of APS treatment at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, held April 5–7. Dr. Sammaritano, associate attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery,…
CHICAGO—The world of rheumatology is beginning to harness the promise of the microbiome, with evidence showing components of the gut may help predict response to medication and may be manipulated to improve how well a treatment works, said Jose Scher, MD, at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, held April 5–7. “We can truly exploit…
CHICAGO—Rheumatologists often come to Brian Schwartz, MD, associate professor of medicine and vice chief for clinical affairs in the Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, with a concern: A patient on immunosuppression has a family member who needs a live vaccine, but the patient may be vulnerable to the vaccine’s effects. Should…
Treating patients with rheumatic disease for their addictions will also encourage patients to address their overall health conditions, resulting in better medical adherence…
The pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is complicated and may involve local inflammation, vasculopathy, pregnancy complications and thrombosis. During the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Lisa Sammaritano, MD, addressed the risk assessment and treatment of APS patients…
Vaccines are often safe for rheumatology patients, but precautions may be needed, said Brian Schwartz, MD, at the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium…
Research into lupus treatments suffered a setback after the failure of anifrolumab in clinical trials. However, during the 2019 ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium, Richard Furie, MD, outlined the possibilities of multiple new lupus therapies under investigation…
CHICAGO—Medical practice consultant Owen Dahl, MBA, LFACHE, CHBC, looked out at the rheumatology practice managers and physicians, sitting around tables with white tablecloths, and asked what seemed like a simple question: “How many of you have a strategic plan?” he asked. A single hand was raised. “One? How do you know where to go tomorrow…
CHICAGO—Every minute, it seems, a new digital tool is introduced in medicine. Whether it’s a new digital measuring stick, a new data-crunching system or a new app, the tech tools form an endless convoy of options. But are they worth it? Will they really help you do your job better? Will they help patients feel…
CHICAGO—Suleman Bhana, MD, a rheumatologist at New York-based Crystal Run Healthcare, calls himself a “technology nerd,” but judging by his review of tech tools at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, you don’t have to geek out to embrace technology in your rheumatology practice. You just have to like simplicity and saving money. “We have a…