Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Results from Many Large Clinical Trials Remain Unpublished Years Later

Will Boggs MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Results from a substantial proportion of large, registered, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can go unpublished for years after their completion, researchers report. “These unpublished and unreported trials include a vast number of patients, about 90,000,” Dr. John P. A. Ioannidis from Stanford University in California told Reuters Health. “Many people think that…

How Does Health Literacy Affect the Patient Global Assessment?

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

For RA patients, a low score on the patient global assessment of disease activity as measured by a visual analog scale (PGA-VAS) is necessary to confirm remission. However, limited patient health literacy combined with the complexity of the scale may result in discrepancies between the PGA-VAS and provider assessments of disease activity. New research examined the patient perspective on the PGA-VAS and its connections to health literacy and disease state…

U.S. Government Website for Comparing Doctors Lacks Data

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Physician Compare, a U.S. website created to help patients find high-quality doctors, is missing so much information on individual providers that it may not be helpful, a new study suggests. Quality reporting has been a work in progress for almost three decades since a landmark 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine, ‘To Err…

FDA Approves Drug for Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—Jacobus Pharmaceutical Co Inc on Monday won U.S. approval for the first drug to treat children with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder. The drug, Ruzurgi (amifampridine), was approved for use in patients ages 6–17, the according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), which affects about three people…

Summit on Connective Tissue Disease-Associated ILD Fosters Interdisciplinary Dialogue

Renée Bacher  |  

During an international summit, physicians and researchers discussed the key clinical and research aspects of the complex intersection between connective tissue diseases and interstitial lung disease (ILD), proposing initiatives to raise awareness and conduct research to better serve patients with autoimmune forms of ILD…

ACR Leaders to Meet with Members of Congress

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On May 16, ACR and ARP leaders serving on the Board of Directors, Affiliate Society Council, Government Affairs Committee, Committee on Rheumatologic Care, RheumPAC and Insurance Subcommittee will go to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the College’s membership and our patients. The group represents 31 states and the District of Columbia, and will…

ACR Issues Position Statements on Key Rheumatology Issues

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The ACR recently issued three new position statements on key issues facing rheumatologists and patients with rheumatic diseases: step therapy, affordable prescription drug pricing and a special waived test designation for synovial fluid crystal analysis performed by rheumatologists. Here is a detailed look at each. Addressing Step Therapy Step therapy or fail first protocols require patients…

New RISE 2019 Dashboard Is Available!

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The RISE 2019 Dashboard features an updated user experience and new functionality. We invite current RISE users to join a free webinar during the month of May to learn about these new features. Please register to join us at these any of these times: Wednesday, May 15 at noon CDT/1 p.m. EDT; Thursday, May 16 at…