My first exposure to pediatric rheumatology came during my adult rheumatology fellowship, when pediatric rotations were part of our curriculum. This experience brought home for me the many differences between childhood and adult rheumatic diseases and the important role pediatric rheumatologists play in patient outcomes. This role has long been appreciated by the ACR/ARP, where…
“Doctor, I hate to tell you this but that shelf is definitely not made of wood,” my patient gently chided me as I knocked on a plastic piece of shelving. “I know … but you get the point,” I replied with a small laugh. It’s become a habit of mine over the past few years…
Lupus has always had a reputation for being a wild, unrestrained and enigmatic entity. In fact, the very name lupus comes from the Latin word for wolf, a gift from our Roman predecessors who saw a resemblance between lupus rashes and a wolf’s bite. Given the limitations of immunology back then, it is an incredibly…
The May 6 event brought together patients, physicians and advocates to challenge misconceptions and advocate for sustained investment in rheumatology research.
In the Netflix series Man on the Inside, Ted Danson portrays a lonely, 75-year-old widower and retired professor living near San Francisco. When a private investigator offers him the opportunity to go undercover to investigate the disappearance of a necklace at an assisted living community, Danson’s character leaps at the chance. How often in one’s…
They looked exactly alike—tall, slightly scruffy gentlemen with denim overalls lightly stained with dirt and oil, with dusty trucker hats to match. The only difference was that one wore a red checkered shirt and the other wore a green one. Yet these similarities were deceptive. The one closest to me was the patient, the one…
In this episode, Dr. Kumar reflects on the impact of uncertainty on rheumatology and the important role of the rheumatologist in providing clarity for patients. He also highlights important articles in the May issue for readers to note.
‘Measuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is an important component of high-quality, patient-centered care, but integration of PROs into clinic can be challenging,’ says Physician Editor Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS. ‘Luckily, tools exist to help us realize this vital aspect of patient care.’ The ACR’s quality measures for care include gauging disease activity and…
As president elect of the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA), J. Eugene Huffstutter, MD, FACP, FACR, MACR, a rheumatologist with Arthritis Associates in Hixson, Tenn., says one of his priorities as the new president of the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) is ensuring physicians can focus on practicing medicine without unnecessary obstacles. Dr. Huffstutter expresses concern about…
As the ACR’s megaphone, the Communications and Marketing Committee helps get clear and accurate information into the hands of those who need it, whether that’s clinicians, researchers, educators or patients, says chair Howard Yang, MD, RhMSUS.