SAN DIEGO—After sifting through the nitty-gritty of the rheumatic disease literature on basic science, Richard Pope, MD—professor of medicine specializing in rheumatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine—underscored several findings he thought stood out from the pack in his Year in Review talk at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. He reviewed findings from November…
Electronic health records, personal trackers, pedometers—all these technologies result in data, data and more data. What types of technology investments will help rheumatology practices collect and understand these data? Here are some insights into investing in technology for your practice…
SAN DIEGO—At the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego last month, the ACR and the ARHP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. This month, The Rheumatologist speaks with the ACR winners about their individual contributions to advancing rheumatology. In coming issues, we…
Mysterious Ways The juxtaposition of the old and the new was readily evident that busy Wednesday morning. My first patient, a 94-year-old gentleman, Hal, arrived with a precise request. His rheumatologist for the past 40 years had just retired, and he was searching for a doctor with expertise in the use of gold sodium aurothioglucose,…
This year, Selena Gomez underwent a kidney transplant as a result of damage from living with lupus. But how can this celebrity story aid rheumatologists? Many see it as an opportunity to raise awareness or create a dialogue with primary care physicians. But for lupus patients, it can be a reminder for them to take control of their own wellbeing, according to rheumatologist Susan Manzi, MD, MPH…
(Reuters Health)—Social media groups that bring together patients, family, friends and healthcare providers can improve patients’ outlook and reduce their anxiety and depression, a recent U.S. study suggests. In a nine-month experiment with liver-transplant patients, researchers found that participants came to rely heavily on a closed Facebook group, both for information about their condition and…
Subcutaneous belimumab has been approved in the EU to help treat patients with active autoantibody-positive SLE…
During the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, Richard Pope, MD, highlighted some of the top scientific literature on rheumatic disease from 2017. The review session discussed research on the effects of microglia on the central nervous system of SLE patients, the role of adenosine in osteoarthritis and more…
During the two or three short years of a rheumatology fellowship, there is so much to learn: the subtle art of the musculoskeletal examination, the intricacies of the immune system and the indications for a dizzyingly increasing array of new medications, to name just a few topics. One topic that you rarely hear about, but…
Preconception planning is essential to help women with autoimmune disease have optimal pregnancy outcomes. Unplanned pregnancy can also negatively impact disease course in some patients. Yet many rheumatologic patients of childbearing age do not receive adequate contraception or prepregnancy education and counseling. Rheumatologists must work collaboratively with other healthcare providers to make sure rheumatic patients…