Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

Value for Service: ACR Update on RUC & CPT Activities

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The American Medical Association (AMA) Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) meet three times a year to keep the CPT code set up to date and review resource costs for physicians. The two-step meetings of the CPT Editorial Panel and the RUC allow physicians to provide direct input to the Centers…

Closed Case? ACR Fights CMS Proposed Changes for E/M Reimbursement

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When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed coding and documentation changes to consolidate evaluation and management (E/M) services last fall, the ACR was among many specialist societies actively involved in advocating against the proposed ruling. The changes to E/M coding were part of a larger initiative to reduce the documentation burden on…

Advocacy Begins at Home

Chris Morris, MD  |  

As the frustration with changes in healthcare grows, and after speaking with the vociferous advocates who are part of the ACR, you have decided that you need to become involved in advocacy for your patients, your practice and your profession. Welcome to the fold. How to Help from Home Many people indicate they aren’t more…

Tracking Bone Deterioration in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

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Trabecular bone score and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography may be effective for evaluating bone impairment in patients ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Rheumatologists may be able to use these methods, complementary to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, to identify bone quality deterioration in AS patients.

Build Your Practice with Patient-Centered Strategies

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Ever wonder why some rheumatologists are more successful at starting or building a private practice than their peers? More than likely, their success is due in part to the patient-centered strategies embedded in their practices’ cultures. Although the ACR predicts a nationwide shortage of 2,500 rheumatologists within the next decade, many patients can still pick…

Myocardial Inflammation Associated with RA Disease Activity

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Introduction: Heart failure, a key contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality, is associated with fewer symptoms and higher (preserved) ejection fraction, but higher mortality rates, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients than among those in the general population. In the general population, higher levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)…

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome of Pregnancy May Persist Long After Delivery

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—About 15% of women who develop carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) while pregnant will suffer persistent and worsening symptoms long after delivery, a new study suggests. “Conventional medical wisdom has been that gestational carpal tunnel syndrome simply goes away after pregnancy, and for many women this is true. However, in our practice this…

Women Diagnosed Years Later than Men for Same Diseases

Tamara Mathias  |  

(Reuters Health)—For a wide range of diseases, diagnosis comes later in life for women than for men, according to a large Danish study. Researchers don’t know whether the later diagnoses are due to genetics, the environment, possible biases in the healthcare system—or some combination of reasons. The study of health data from 6.9 million Danish…