Rheumatology has arguably benefited like no other field from the proliferation of an increasingly effective pipeline of therapeutics. These medications have dramatically raised the bar for clinical outcomes for our patients in a way that we could not have envisioned a short generation ago. With such therapeutic progress now reaching a widening circle of rheumatic…
In an ACR Convergence session, two rheumatologists discussed how COVID-19 changed the use of telemedicine, how payers reacted and which changes are likely permanent and which are likely to be temporary.
The number of medications with rheumatologic indications has increased in parallel with expanding complexities of medication approval and delivery. Simply starting a patient on a biologic medication or new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) can be time consuming and frustrating for physicians, nurses and their support staff. In addition to educating the patient and obtaining prior…
Presidential Gold Medal The highest award the ACR can bestow, the Presidential Gold Medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements in rheumatology over an entire career. This year’s award went to James O’Dell, MD, the Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Internal Medicine, vice chair of internal medicine and chief of the Division of Rheumatology at the…
Acute gout can be very painful, causing patients to seek treatment in the emergency department. A retrospective study of pain interventions for gout in Rhode Island found that nearly 30% of patients received prescriptions for opioid medications over 30 months. Of these prescriptions, over 80% were for patients who had never been exposed to opioids…
Editor’s note: On Oct. 26, 2020, the ACR submitted comments opposing the proposed change. The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Bureau issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on Sept. 25 that would change the admission period of academic student and exchange visitor aliens, as well as representatives of foreign information media, from duration of status…
Our hospitals have had their finest hour in the care of acutely ill inpatients during the COVID-19 pandemic, including dealing with allocation decisions fairly and transparently, maximizing good outcomes and remaining cognizant of the enduring ethics of healthcare. The honorable traditions of self-effacing conduct and acceptance of some level of personal risk by healthcare professionals…
Experts weigh in on sustaining telerheumatology as a viable practice tool by sharing its history, potential and regulatory outlook post-pandemic at ACR Convergence 2020.
I have always been dissatisfied with the apparent dichotomy between researchers and clinicians; this is a false divide. Yes, research includes laboratory-based investigation, clinical trials, and retrospective and prospective studies of disease entities, among other pursuits. However, clinicians also contribute to research by sharing clinical data and through observations of their patients. Clinicians’ daily contributions…
Here’s a taste of what participants in this year’s virtual annual meeting, ACR Convergence 2020, will have access to during Down & Dirty 30, four 30-minute sessions designed to provide refreshers on specific rheumatology-related topics.