ACR Convergence 2025| Video: Rheuminations on Milestones & Ageism

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Quality Assurance/Improvement

Technology and Pay-for-Performance

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Medicare and private payers are increasingly developing programs to reward physicians based on clinical benchmarks. As more payers embrace this approach, practices are looking to technology to help them manage complex reporting requirements.

The ACR Supports the Rheumatology Workforce

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The ACR Committee on Training and Workforce Issues remains committed to supporting rheumatology training programs to ensure a well-prepared future workforce. Given the significant role rheumatology training directors play in the recruitment and education of rheumatology fellows, the ACR considers it essential to support their efforts.

Join the Electronic Health Information Exchange Community

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Effective and efficient health information exchange has the potential to revolutionize rheumatology practices by simply delivering necessary patient information where and when it is needed in a complete and logical format. The list of its potential benefits—including streamlined administrative processes, efficient communication, and reduction of redundant testing—is limited only by the willingness of physicians to implement clinical and administrative technology and modify workflow to accommodate electronic processes.

Tips for Conducting a Market Analysis

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Given the weakened economy, today’s rheumatology practice must be proactive, understand the market in which it operates, and plan for the future. Conducting a competitive market analysis is a critical first step toward the financial success of any medical practice.

Reach Beyond the Digital Walls of Your Practice

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How much time and money do you spend trying to find information about your patients? Are you frustrated by the difficulties in obtaining patient medical records, test results, lab reports, radiology results, and insurance eligibility from organizations across state lines, down the street, or even across the hall? Do you ever order redundant tests simply because you are unable to access the results of tests ordered by another member of the care team?

PQRI Now Includes RA Measures Group

Salahuddin Kazi, MD, Melesia Tillman, CPC, CCP, and Amy S. Miller  |  

In 2008, the only Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) measure that applied to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy. For 2009, five new RA measures were included, for a total of six measures in the new RA Measures Group. The five new measures were developed in 2008 by the National Committee for Quality Assurance in collaboration with the ACR and the American Medical Association’s Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement and were subsequently adopted by Medicare.

A New Breed of Practice

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As small practice physicians are  forced to combat increasing overhead and shriveling reimbursement, we seem to be entering an era of medical practice Darwinism—survival of those that are most fit to operate in today’s severe and unforgiving healthcare environment.

“My Office Manager Handles That”

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Some rheumatologists in private practice are fortunate enough to have office managers who handle the business side of medicine for them. However, the truth is that it is the physician who is the leader of his or her practice, not the office manager. If nothing else, the physician is the one who manages the office manager.