The 2011 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting program offers a plethora of opportunities for health professionals to gain insight into emerging concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatologic disorders as well as improving quality of life in affected patients.
This year’s keynote address, “Sleep for Success! Everything You Must Know About Sleep, but Are Too Tired to Ask,” by James B. Maas, MD, from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., will define the importance of sleep in functioning, performance, and health, and explore strategies to improve sleep quality. Presented on Sunday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m., this session promises to be an eye-opening discourse that you will not want to miss.
On Monday, November 7 at 10:30 a.m., the ARHP Distinguished Lecturer will be Anthony D. Woolf, MD. He will describe the enormous impact of musculoskeletal conditions as elucidated through the Bone and Joint Decade 2000 to 2010 initiative.
Recent research suggests that medical marijuana may have immunomodulatory properties, pushing the controversial topic of its use as a pain therapy in patients with rheumatic diseases back into the spotlight. On Monday, November 7 at 2:30 p.m., “Debate: Joints for Joints: Medical Marijuana is Useful for Treating Rheumatic Disease” will be a spirited discussion on the pros and cons of this treatment modality.
Concurrent Sessions Offer Variety
More than 50 ARHP concurrent sessions are offered during this year’s scientific program, covering a range of important topics. Here are a few of this year’s exciting offerings.
If you want to be able to deconstruct the elements of the randomized controlled trial that contribute to research quality, especially as they relate to investigating nondrug treatments, don’t miss the Sunday, November 6 session from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. that addresses this important topic.
Clinicians are aware that a major obstacle to achieving good outcomes in arthritis is that patients are often unwilling to change their health behavior. Methods to assess patients’ readiness to change and the skills needed to motivate them to change will be explored in the “Behave Yourself! Practical Application of Cognitive Behavioral Theories to Motivate Change in Patients with Arthritis” session on Monday, November 7 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
This year’s attendees can also reap the benefits of an overview of immunology and targeted therapies, which are at the forefront of the treatment of autoimmune disease, to be offered on Sunday, November 6 from 11:00 a.m. to noon in the session, “Immunology 101 and Targeted Therapies for Rheumatology Healthcare Professionals.”
Attendees will have a unique opportunity to learn about the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a national research study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health with the goal of advancing the understanding of the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis, on Sunday, November 6 from 11:00 a.m. to noon.
To hear about the new classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis, which may open up treatment to a new group of patients, make sure you attend the Sunday, November 6 session on “Axial Spondyloarthritis: New Concepts” from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
If you’re interested in optimizing your use of antimalarials in rheumatic disease, don’t miss the session, “Antimalarials for Rheumatic Disorders: Historical Perspectives, Clinical Insights, and Future Directions,” on Monday, November 7 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. This session will describe what is known about how antimalarials function and their role in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antiphospholipid syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
A session on “Adult Pharmacogenomics” on Tuesday, November 8 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. will tackle personalized medicine and its potential to revolutionize the way care is provided. This informative session will explore the use of gene expression markers to more precisely predict treatments that will induce a response, which means that therapies can be used more efficiently.
If after hearing the ARHP Distinguished Lecture you want to learn more about the impact of musculoskeletal conditions on function and social interaction, in addition to ways that social roles can be maintained effectively in musculoskeletal patients, don’t miss the Tuesday, November 8 session, “Beyond Pain and Fatigue: Expanding Clinician and Researcher Focus to Improve Daily Life,” from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Apart from the classic musculoskeletal manifestations of RA, the eye, lungs, and heart can be directly or indirectly involved. To learn more about the extraarticular manifestations of RA, and the pathophysiologic mechanisms behind them, be sure to catch the Tuesday, November 8 session from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Attendees can learn about the proper evaluation and treatment of patients with cognitive dysfunction related to SLE during a session on Tuesday, November 8 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
You’re well aware that exercise can promote positive outcomes in patients with arthritis, but incorporating exercise into the lives of patients with arthritis and comorbidities can be a challenge. Learn how to design an exercise program for patients during the “Designing Exercise Prescriptions for Individuals with Arthritis and Other Comorbidities: What Are the Considerations?” session on Tuesday, November 8 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis is poorly understood and not well known to rheumatology professionals. To gain an understanding of the subtypes, pathophysiology, and treatment options for this disorder, plan to attend the Wednesday, November 9 session from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
In the fall of 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arthritis Foundation convened a panel of experts to define and prioritize a list of environmental strategies and policies to support physical activity for people with arthritis. Hear the panel’s findings on Wednesday, November 9 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Principles of rheumatology-related comparative effectiveness research, to which more than $1 billion has been allocated as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, will be reviewed in the session, “Introduction to Comparative Effectiveness Research Study Designs for Rheumatology Health Professionals,” on Wednesday, November 9 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
My ACR
My ACR is the online tool designed to help you navigate the annual meeting and the place to view up-to-date session details, plan your schedule for the meeting, and much more. To check out the other exciting offerings planned for health professionals, visit My ACR at www.rheumatology.org/annual. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!
