Recognizing that situations involving ties with the pharmaceutical industry and conflicts of interest are often not black and white, the ACR’s Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest has collected feedback on four ethically challenging scenarios to gauge how rheumatology providers think about them. The survey generated responses that were often mixed, showing that when…
A 56-year-old automobile mechanic was referred to our rheumatology service by his orthopedist to evaluate left posterior knee pain and swelling that had been present for three months. The patient had undergone bilateral total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) for sports-related osteoarthritis three years before. In addition to the knee pain, the patient described several years of…
According to a survey commissioned by CompHealth, doctors work longer than the average American, intending to retire at age 68.1 Eventually, most physicians do decide to pull the plug on their careers. Questions about when to retire and what happens next are important to answer. “The primary question to ask yourself is, ‘Do I still…
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) or programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) axes have revolutionized therapy and improved survival in advanced cancers. However, these immune system modulators also lead to immune-related adverse events (IRAEs).1,2 In clinical trials, IRAEs mainly involved the gastrointestinal tract, skin, endocrine glands, liver and lung,…
Case Presentation A 45-year-old man with crystal-proven gout, poorly controlled diabetes and chronic kidney disease was lost to follow-up for six years and presented back to the VA clinic in the midst of a gout flare. He stated he had continued taking 100 mg of allopurinol daily, but his serum urate level was 13.8 mg/dL….
ATLANTA—At the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in November, the ACR and the ARP 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 winners of the ARP Merit Awards about their individual contributions to advancing rheumatology. You’ll also find a…
We all have a short list of famous individuals whose writings inspire us and guide us. At the start of my presidential year, I turned to my own short list for some words of wisdom from Peter Drucker, whom many consider to be the founder of modern management theory. Underpinning Drucker’s teachings is a strong…
Your voice matters: That was the shared theme of presentations by Angus Worthing, MD, FACR, FACP, William F. Harvey, MD, MSc, FACR, and Georgia Rep. Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta, Dist. 60) in the session, Raise Your Voice! Advocacy Update from Government Affairs at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting on Monday, Nov. 11.
Laura Cappelli, MD, MHS, shares her tips for growing her academic rheumatology research career while building a family…
ATLANTA—Did you know that Tasmanian wombats have cube-shaped poop or that no matter what size bladder someone has, they still pee in 20–30 seconds—even elephants? What do those factoids have to do with rheumatology? When keynote speaker David L. Hu, PhD, shared the information and how he discovered it, the stories incited laughter in the…