Search results for: hip OA

Septic or Lyme Hip Arthritis? Rapid Lyme Diagnostics Could Avoid Unnecessary Treatment

Reuters Staff | April 26, 2018

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In Lyme-endemic areas, synovial fluid white blood cell (WBC) count isn’t very helpful in distinguishing septic from Lyme arthritis of the hip, a new study suggests. Use of newer-generation Lyme disease diagnostics are necessary to avoid the “under- and overdiagnosis of Lyme arthritis at the time that initial management decisions must be…

Joan M. Von Feldt, MD, MSEd: A Shopper with a Cause

Carol Patton | March 19, 2018

Joan M. Von Feldt, MD, MSEd, loves fashion—everything from the feel of natural fabrics and the fit of a well-crafted garment to mixing and matching colors and textures. As a professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and editor in chief of the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, she enjoys being well dressed and, like…

2 Fellowship Directors Debate ACGME Milestones Eval System

Larry Beresford | March 17, 2018

SAN DIEGO—The Next Accreditation System, the newest process for evaluating medical residency and fellowship programs and their participants, including future rheumatologists, was implemented in 2014 by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The system introduced specialty-specific milestones designed to reflect significant points in professional development. Milestones are defined by ACGME as a rubric…

Younger Patients Getting Knees & Hips Replaced

Megan Brooks | March 12, 2018

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients undergoing total joint replacement are younger now than they were in 2000, new research indicates. The average patient undergoing a total hip replacement (THR) in 2014 was 64.9 years, while the average patient in 2000 was 66.3 years. Similarly, the average patient undergoing a total knee replacement (TKR) was 65.9 in…

Healthy Diet Linked to Lower Hip Fracture Risk in U.S. Women

Mary Gillis | March 4, 2018

(Reuters Health)—Eating an overall healthy diet is tied to a lower risk of hip fracture among women over age 50, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers analyzed decades’ worth of dietary and health data for more than 100,000 U.S. men and women. They found that women who scored highest on the American Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI)…

What’s Driving the Pain? Alternative Approaches to Pain Management

Richard Quinn | February 26, 2018

Patients can experience many different types of pain, and some patients with chronic pain may believe that only opioids will help them. According to Kelly Weselman, MD, the best way to begin managing pain is to determine its root cause and communicate with the patient about the best approach(es) for decreasing their specific pain…

Build Better Leaders: The 2018 ACR/ARHP Leadership Conference Focused on Practical Tips for Guiding Committees, Meetings & Conference Calls

Susan Bernstein | February 15, 2018

Effective volunteer leaders inspire their committees, and together, they accomplish ambitious goals to ensure the future of rheumatology. Expert consultants shared tips and tools for effective leadership at this year’s ACR/ARHP Leadership Conference, held Jan. 22 in Atlanta. “We view your role in the ACR as volunteers to be critical, not only for the success…

Service Dogs Aid RA Patients with Mobility, Chores, Companionship & More

Karen Appold | January 30, 2018

Patients with severe RA can struggle with walking, getting dressed, carrying items and more, all of which can negatively affect their quality of life. But according to Bharat Kumar, MD, service dogs can help RA patients by providing both physical and emotional support, aiding patient mobility and quality of life…

Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act Preparation Tips

Steven M. Harris, Esq. | January 19, 2018

The ABCs of MACRA The transition year under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is at an end. MACRA repealed the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) methodology for updates to the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and replaced it with a value-driven payment system. The new approach to payment is called the…

Hip Fractures Increasing in Older U.S. Women

Cheryl Platzman Weinstock | January 16, 2018

(Reuters Health)—The incidence of hip fractures in older women in the U.S. is rising after more than a decade of decline, according to a large new study of Medicare recipients. Hip fracture rates declined each year from 2002–2012, the researchers found. But starting in 2013, hip fracture rates leveled off and were higher than expected….