In 2018, Gerson Bernhard, MD, FACP, MACR, received a call from a primary care physician at a rural clinic in Florida who was treating patients with varying degrees of arthritis. One patient’s case was more complex than the others. Dr. Bernhard guided the doctor through the patient’s history, reviewed lab results, referred related studies, expanded…
As president of the Georgia Society of Rheumatology (GSR), Wambui Machua, MD, a rheumatologist with Piedmont Physicians Rheumatology, Atlanta, oversees a membership of 90 rheumatologists, six orthopedists, two nurses, 85 physician assistants and 27 fellows and residents. According to Dr. Machua, the GSR, founded in 1967, continues to pursue its original mission of providing educational…
Research into the disease-modifying effects of the novel cathepsin K inhibitor MIV-711 suggests it may be effective as a knee OA treatment. In OA patients using the treatment, the study documented statistically significant reductions in bone and cartilage progression…
Interactive rheumatology education has flourished online thanks to grassroots efforts & ACR support…
As state rheumatology societies go, the Nebraska Rheumatology Society (NRS) is one of the new kids on the block. Established two years ago, the NRS hopes to involve all 27 rheumatologists across the state. Marcus Snow, MD, a rheumatologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, says the state’s rheumatologists are spread across…
Telerheumatology—which refers to the application of electronic communication technology to clinical encounters from a distance between rheumatologists and their patients—has the potential to extend a workforce projected to experience significant shortfalls, making it more accessible to more patients. Multiple barriers that stood in the way of taking full advantage of this promise are now down—at…
A 65-year-old male patient diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at multiple sites without rheumatoid factor has been ordered to have infliximab infusions. What should support staff do to ensure this procedure can be given to the patient? Make sure there is a signed order from the provider Make sure a prior authorization is obtained Make sure…
The Medicare statute states that items and services provided to beneficiaries must be “reasonable and necessary” to qualify for reimbursement. Although the Medicare program determines in specific cases whether an item or service is reasonable and necessary, it also issues policies, called coverage determinations, to instruct Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) what to reimburse providers for….
Reproductive health can be a concern for patients with rheumatic diseases, and practitioners in both rheumatology and obstetrics/gynecology often work closely together. The 2020 ACR Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases, new clinical recommendations developed by an ACR-convened group for pregnant women, post-menopausal women, lactating women, and women and…
The evidence-based guideline includes contraceptive recommendations and suggestions for rheumatologists co-managing patients with obstetrician-gynecologists and other specialists.