WASHINGTON, D.C.—What do treating hand osteoarthritis (OA) in the primary care setting, high financial strain and risk of depression in patients with lupus, prolonged sitting and cardiovascular disease, and sex-specific treatment after total hip arthroplasty have in common? They were all topics presented during a session titled ARHP I: Exemplary Abstracts at the 2016 ACR/ARHP…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In 2017, rheumatologists will begin to track and report quality data for reimbursement under the the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Panelists shared their tips on how to score more points under MACRA and utilize existing technology at a Nov. 14 session called Implementing Quality Measurement in Your Clinical Practice at…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Patients with juvenile rheumatic diseases are thriving in an era of highly effective therapies, successful self-management strategies, better understanding of genetic links to autoimmunity risk and improved efforts to listen to and engage with these young patients. That bright picture for young people with arthritis was presented by pediatrics at the ACR/ARHP Concurrent Abstract…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the next 15 years, it will be increasingly difficult to provide adequate care for rising numbers of patients with rheumatic diseases due to a severe shortage of trained rheumatology healthcare providers, according to the ACR’s 2015 Workforce Study of Rheumatology Specialists in the United States. The full study is available online, and panelists…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rheumatology researchers look for next-generation treatments, healthy interventions, and genetic and microbial clues to disease pathogenesis and therapy response, according to new studies presented at a Nov. 15, 2016, press conference at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. OA & Physical Function How do you know when a patient with knee osteoarthritis (OA) has the…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—New insights into maintenance therapy for patients with vasculitides were covered by several speakers at the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting abstract session titled, Vasculitis I: Novel Approaches to Therapy. Expert Hubert de Boysson, MD, MSc, of the Internal Medicine Department at Caen University Hospital in France, led discussion on new therapies for patients with…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Paulette Hahn, MD, associate professor of medicine specializing in rheumatology at the University of Florida (UF), said she once treated a patient named Monica, a UF undergraduate who had severe inflammatory muscle disease and severe lung disease. The patient’s disease was under control for the time being, but Monica knew she could take a…
SAN FRANCISCO—Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation or fibrosis of the lungs. The disorders are also associated with a spectrum of connective tissue diseases (CTDs). ILD is a common manifestation of CTDs, such as scleroderma, poly-/dermatomyositis and rheumatoid arthritis—and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in…
Soon, rheumatologists may have another drug to offer their patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RRA) for whom effective and safe treatment remains challenging. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that patients with RRA treated with once-daily baricitinib in a 4 mg dose had a significant clinical improvement in symptoms of…
Rheumatologists are accustomed to educating patients about medications—but biologic medications require some additional time and discussion. “Biologics are inherently more complex [than other medications], and there are multiple issues to consider before initiating treatment,” says K. “Kwas” Huston, MD, The Center for Rheumatic Disease, Kansas City, Mo. “This includes the patient’s disease activity, prior medications…