Crafting clear and captivating messaging for patients and colleagues isn’t always easy. Here are some tips to improve your approach…
Do a Lack of Information & Social Support Affect Lupus Outcomes?
Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) need better appraisal and more informational and social support, according to a new study on health-related quality of life in these patients.1 The phenomenological study, comprising qualitative interviews with patients in the Lupus Clinic at the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo., also found a need for…
Collaborative Interventions Can Improve Sjögren Syndrome Patients’ Daily Lives
New research identifies how education designed to empower self-care and collaboration among providers, patients and family members can help patients with Sjögren’s syndrome manage their daily challenges and take back their lives…
Is Patient-Centered Care Effective for Rheumatology?
Patient-centered care requires increased communication and a proactive patient. But how does it benefit a rheumatology practice? According to Stanford Shoor, MD, patient-centered care offers a team-based approach that can improve satisfaction in care and positively affect RA-specific outcomes…
Family Planning Counseling & the Rheumatologist
Women with rheumatic diseases have unique reproductive health needs, and family planning counseling is a critical component to their overall healthcare. A new research review examines the barriers to patients with rheumatic disease receiving family planning counseling. Additionally, reviewers provide rheumatologists with practical suggestions to optimize communication with patients, as well as address the effect of medications and the effectiveness of contraception…
Medical Jargon May Cloud Doctor-Patient Communication
(Reuters Health)—When patients misunderstand commonly used medical terms, communication and decision-making may suffer, U.K. researchers say. In a survey of London oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic patients, more than a third of participants did not know the meaning of such terms as benign or lesion and more than half could not define metastasis or lymph…
Just You & the Patient: Tips to Stay Focused at Work
Ringing phones, patient emergencies, staff interruptions—rheumatologists work amidst distraction all day. Here are some practical and personal tips on how to stay focused on your patients…
Ethics Forum: A Physician’s Medical Error & the Patient’s Right to Know
Case Ms. A is an 82-year-old woman who presented to the rheumatology office for evaluation of osteoporosis. She had been diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis at age 62 after sustaining a right wrist fracture. She was started on alendronate 70 mg weekly and reported medication compliance. At age 79, she sustained an atraumatic right femur fracture….
After Medical Errors, Patients Want Doctors to Hear Them Out
(Reuters Health)—When medical errors lead to serious injuries, patients and families may feel better when doctors take the time to listen to their feelings about the mistake and explain what can be done to prevent it from happening again, a small study suggests. The research team interviewed 27 patients, three family members and 10 staff…
How to Build a Patient Base
Building a patient base takes more than marketing your rheumatology services. According to Jessica Chapman, MD, cultivating trust and communication between referring physicians and potential patients is critical…