Although more than 189,300,000 eligible Americans are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 as of Oct. 18, 2021, vaccine hesitancy persists.1 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected between May 26 and June 7, 2021, reports that in some U.S. counties—particularly in the Southeast…
It was Christmas Eve, 1996. The pain had become excruciating—it had to be for Kerby to opt to go to the hospital on Christmas Eve because Kerby’s pain tolerance was high. At that point, he had been living with what had ultimately been diagnosed as psoriatic arthritis for about 30 years. That Christmas Eve, the…
“Maria” is a 54-year-old woman with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, as well as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. She is a new patient in your clinic following a move across the country to live with her children on a farm in a rural area of the Midwest. At her first visit, three months ago, you and Maria agreed—through…
The impressive progress of medical knowledge and technology reinforces our trust in the scientific methodology that made it all possible. However, that progress also creates risks related to the primary goal of medical care: to serve our patients’ interests and enjoyment of life in the best possible way. In this article we present our views…
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated wide disparities that exist in the U.S. healthcare system. During the pandemic, the clinical practice in the Section of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), New Haven, Conn., rapidly pivoted from face-to-face visits to telehealth to keep our patients and providers safe. Many patients quickly adapted and…
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…
Many practitioners can relate to the epiphany of Roy Basch, MD, the lead character in Samuel Shem’s satirical novel The House of God.1 During his first on-call shift as a medicine intern, long work hours combined with jaded advice from his senior resident leave Dr. Basch feeling disenchanted with the medical profession until he cares…
Presenters at the Access in Rheumatology meeting held in advance of the ACR’s State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium took a deep dive into the access challenges faced by rheumatology patients and discussed possible solutions. Treatment At least until 2026, prescription drug spending will exceed the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and health spending, said rheumatologist Colin C….
A 26-year-old Peruvian woman presented to the emergency department of a large teaching hospital in Lima, Peru, with epistaxis and hematomas that had occurred over the preceding few days; she was found to have severe thrombocytopenia and a normocytic, normochromic anemia. She was treated with pulse doses of methylprednisolone; however, within two days, she presented…
Have you ever asked a patient, “How’s your sex life?” If your answer is “No,” you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds healthcare providers don’t talk about sex with their patients for a variety of reasons: They feel uncomfortable discussing sex and sexuality with patients; They believe discussing sex will…