An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Search results for: treat-to-target

Disease Trends in Hispanic RA Patients in the U.S.

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

As the Hispanic population has grown in the U.S., very little research has examined the potentially unique clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis in these patients. A new small-scale study of Hispanic patients with RA identified trends in functional disability—showing that disease activity, pain and depression were modifiable parameters over time, with consistent, independent and additive contributions to changes in functional disability across the disease trajectory…

2015 ACR Workforce Study Report Offers Rheumatologists Chance to Improve Patient Care, Financial Outlook

Timothy Harrington, MD  |  

I read the 2015 ACR Workforce Study Report with great interest as one who served on the 2005 Manpower Taskforce.1,2 I found it disappointing that the deficit in rheumatologist FTEs that we predicted a decade ago has become a fact. Of even greater concern, the strategies we proposed to address this problem have not been…

FDA Update on Rituximab & Etanercept; Plus New ACP Gout Guideline

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The FDA is considering an application for subcutaneous rituximab and has approved an application for etanercept to treat pediatric patients with plaque psoriasis…

Rheumatology Drug Updates: Infliximab Biosimilar Cross Reacts to Infliximab Antibodies

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Cross Reactions A recent study published online in March in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases investigated if the infliximab biosimilar (CT-P13, infliximab-dyyb), which is marketed in Europe as Inflectra and Remsima, can be safely and effectively substituted for infliximab (Remicade).1 Infliximab and its biosimilar are manufactured via the same process. Researchers set out to…

Methotrexate with Step-Down Glucocorticoid Remission Induction Works in Early RA

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Methotrexate with step-down glucocorticoid remission induction (COBRA Slim) is an effective, safe and feasible initial treatment strategy for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), researchers from Belgium report. Patients with early RA should be treated rapidly, intensively and to target, according to current guidelines, they note in a paper online July 18…

workforce

Addressing the Rheumatology Workforce Shortage

Timothy Harrington, MD, Erin Arnold, MD, William Arnold, MD, David Sikes, MD, Gary Crump, MD, James Bower, MPA, & Drew Johnson, MS, MBA  |  

In 2008, the American College of Rheumatology Workforce Study Advisory Group published a comprehensive rheumatology workforce analysis.1 It concluded: Based on assessment of supply and demand under current scenarios, the demand for rheumatologists is expected to exceed supply in the coming decades. Strategies for the profession to adapt to this changing health care landscape include…

Tips for Setting Treatment Goals with the Patient

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When working with a newly diagnosed patient to determine a treatment plan, ensure the patient has a good understanding of the diagnosis, the options available and what the options entail. “It is important to help patients understand that there are choices, and that their decisions should be based on what matters to them,” says Susan…

2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Immune Mediators Can Impact Inflammatory Response

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SAN FRANCISCO—Inflammation can be either acute or chronic, and it’s the inflammatory responses that don’t shut down normally, or resolve, that cause tissue damage in rheumatic disease. “Resolution bridges the gap between acute inflammation and adaptive immunity,” said Derek W. Gilroy, PhD, head of the Centre for Clinical Pharmacology and Professor of Immunology at University…

Patient-Centered Care Model for RA Flares Could Improve Self-Management of Symptoms

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A recent trend to incorporate patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical research, and ultimately clinical practice, is a response to the need to better measure and treat what patients truly care about, and adapt to the changing healthcare environment, which increasingly includes patient satisfaction as a key metric for overall quality of care, a metric tied…

Dr. Michael Weinblatt Discusses Current & Future RA Therapies

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According to former ACR President Michael Weinblatt, MD, the future of drug therapies for patients with RA rests in the careful and intelligent prescription of current medications and treatment combinations, as well as better patient access through lower costs…