CHICAGO—With an ever-strengthening foundation beneath the pathophysiology and prediction of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the field may soon focus more intently on prevention, an expert said at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The session also covered the latest in remission targets and therapy de-escalation. RA Prevention Kevin Deane, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine and principal…
CHICAGO—Although rare, when a patient has both primary immune deficiency and autoimmune disease, the combination can lead to life-threatening complications requiring careful, long-term therapy. In When Immune Deficiency and Autoimmunity Coexist, a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, M. Eric Gershwin, MD, the Jack and Donald Chia professor of Medicine and chief of Rheumatology,…
CHICAGO—When it comes to correctly diagnosing joint pain in children, “things take time,” said Michael L. Miller, MD, quoting Danish physicist and poet Piet Hein. Children with pain but normal physical examinations may need to return to the clinic for repeat evaluation over several months. “I often tell parents that laboratory tests may help in…
CHICAGO—Could the addition of a pharmacist to rheumatology care teams improve patient satisfaction, decrease staff burnout or reduce medication-related problems? Three panelists in Integrating Pharmacists into the Workforce, a session at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, shared positive experiences with this interdisciplinary care model. Less Burnout, More Satisfaction Ten years ago, the Arthritis Treatment Center…
CHICAGO—At the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in October, the ACR and the ARHP 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 ARHP Merit Awards about their individual contributions to advancing rheumatology. You’ll also find interviews…
CHICAGO—Teaching in the inpatient setting can be a tall task, hindered by a lack of time, an unpredictable environment and a variety of learners encountered at different levels. But a few techniques—based mainly on understanding who your students are and how they prefer to learn—can make a big difference, an expert said at the 2018…
CHICAGO—Throughout medical training, you have guideposts and guardrails all around you: academic advisors, professors in the classroom, preceptors in the clinic during residency. But once you get a job as a medical faculty member, you’re basically on your own. “No one really trains you or teaches you about how you’re supposed to negotiate and navigate…
CHICAGO—Rheumatology physicians and researchers from Africa said the field’s resources and medical literature on the continent are slowly expanding, but they repeatedly lamented that the millions who suffer from rheumatic diseases there have major obstacles to overcome to access care. Their reviews and assessments—sometimes grim and sometimes hopeful—came in a session that was a joint…
CHICAGO—Approximately 200,000 health apps are available through major app stores. Some offer real benefits, said Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, director of health services research at Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, Calif. But most, he told attendees at the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, are “rubbish.” “They do one or two things only—and generally not well,” he…
CHICAGO—ACR leaders described a series of looming legislative and regulatory threats to rheumatologists and their patients—including the proposed collapsing of evaluation and management (E/M) coding and potential changes to step therapy rules—and urged everyone in the field to make their voices heard to quash the proposals. They also recounted recent victories in the policy realm…