What Was the Outcome?
The panel envisions a new role for the ACR as a much closer partner of academic divisions of rheumatology in the future. This partnership will encompass the development of tools that academic units can use to demonstrate their economic value, assess and strengthen their financial health, improve and expand training of both rheumatology fellows and mid-level providers for evolving career opportunities within the field, expand research across the discipline, and enhance quality of patient care. The partnership will involve a sharper focus on advocacy related to issues critical to the future well-being of our academic rheumatology divisions. It will also include significant investments by the ACR and the Foundation in rheumatology career development, ongoing analyses of the effectiveness of external governmental and nongovernmental research funding for academic rheumatology units, and a comprehensive program of leadership development.
While the charge to the task force was to focus on academic rheumatology, the panel quickly recognized that the historical lines dividing academics and various types of private practices have become increasingly blurred. In an effort to comprehensively address appropriate training for physicians and health professionals for a variety of careers, including community practice, education, research, and industry, a comprehensive review was conducted and broad-reaching recommendations were included with the panel’s report. These recommendations, when implemented, should not exclusively benefit academic units, but rather should affect the entire rheumatology community.
What Are the Recommendations?
The final report is available on the “Outreach” page at www.rheumatology.org/about and contains a summary of the critical issues identified within academic rheumatology, across the domains of training, practice, and research. Specific recommendations to address these issues over the short and long term are detailed within. Briefly, the recommendations are:
- Address the funding crisis for rheumatic disease research and training.
- Redefine the scope of rheumatology.
- Develop research infrastructure and consortia.
- Expand our clinical data infrastructure.
- Address regulatory burdens.
- Develop and promote the adoption of new technologies.
- Develop the future workforce and maintain the current workforce.
- Develop future rheumatology academic faculty and retain current faculty.
- Develop future leaders within the ACR, the global research community, and academic centers.
- Formally demonstrate the value of academic rheumatology.
What Are the Next Steps?
The final report and recommendations have been accepted by the ACR Executive Committee and presented to the ACR Board of Directors and committee chairs. The recommendations are now being considered as part of the ACR’s strategic planning process.
