As the first rheumatologist at a federally qualified health center in Austin, Texas, Samantha Shapiro, MD, learned several practical tips for the care of uninsured and underinsured patients with rheumatic diseases.

As the first rheumatologist at a federally qualified health center in Austin, Texas, Samantha Shapiro, MD, learned several practical tips for the care of uninsured and underinsured patients with rheumatic diseases.
Patients shouldn’t need to exercise patience when it comes to getting needed rheumatologic care. E-consults are an evolving telehealth modality with the potential to improve access to rheumatologic care in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Patrice Fusillo |
During ACR Convergence 2021 in early November, the ACR honored a group of individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care, announcing the recipients of the ACR’s 2021 Awards of Distinction, as well as the group of Distinguished Fellows. recognized for their contributions. Three pediatric rheumatologists and one pediatric fellow…
Katie Robinson |
EULAR—Passive exposure to smoking during childhood or adulthood increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a large prospective cohort study of healthy French women presented during EULAR’s 2021 virtual European Congress of Rheumatology. Moreover, the association was mainly observed among women who had themselves never smoked.1 “In this study, we found an…
Ahmed Aboulenein |
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats promised voters sweeping drug price reform in their signature social spending bill but agreed to move ahead with a far less ambitious proposal after facing opposition in Congress. The plan could still fail as hurdles remain to approving the broader spending package, known as “Build Back…
Sarah D. Bayefsky, MD, Kimberly DeQuattro, MD, & Rebecca E. Sadun, MD, PhD |
Approximately 50% of young adult patients with childhood-onset rheumatic diseases become lost to follow-up within the first year of transferring to adult rheumatology care, mirroring the statistics of other subspecialties.1,2 One of the challenges cited most consistently by young adult patients and their families relates to differences between rheumatology care delivery in the pediatric and…
Guy Katz, MD, Minna J. Kohler, MD, RhMSUS, & Marcy B. Bolster, MD |
Scrolling through your Twitter feed, a tweet catches your eye: “Great day. Helped anxious patient with poor health literacy understand and come to terms with #SLE diagnosis and agree to start treatment. #RheumTwitter” The tweet, by a well-intentioned physician who cared deeply for her patient, resonated with many others and has been retweeted more than…
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) on March 10, 2021, after Senate passage on March 6. President Biden signed the bill into law on March 11. Following is the ACR’s summary of the most impactful provisions of this third COVID-19 relief package. Fighting COVID-19 $160 billion…
Navigating the healthcare system and its processes can seem overwhelming to patients. If patients understand why their clinician recommended something, know how and when to take medications, and why they shouldn’t skip a dose—or 10—they may not feel so out of control. Sharing examination notes with patients can be helpful to many patients who struggle…
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.