Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

Medicare Program Focuses on Rural Patients

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For arthritis patients who live in farming communities, just getting to rheumatologist Lynne Peterson, MD’s, office in Bismarck, N.D., can take a lot of time and energy. “Because of the shortage of rheumatologists, patients living in rural areas tend to receive inadequate rheumatologic evaluation and care,” says Dr. Peterson, whose clinic is located at Sanford…

How to Get Your EHR Up … & Keep It Running

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Implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system is no easy task—and one that a physician shouldn’t tackle alone. From the onset, you need to get buy-in from your practice’s colleagues. To do this, designate a physician champion to take charge of the effort. “This is a challenging position, because it’s difficult to convince people…

Express Scripts Tries to Rein in Pricey Inflammatory Drugs

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Express Scripts Holding, the largest manager of U.S. drug benefits, on Thursday launched a program aimed at tightening spending on drugs for pricey inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. It is the latest Express Scripts effort intended to reduce spending on prescription drugs, such as last week’s announcement of a diabetes program. Early…

Hours Spent Record Keeping May Fuel Physician Burnout

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—For every hour doctors spend treating patients during a typical workday, they devote nearly two more hours to maintaining electronic health records (EHR) and clerical work, a small U.S. study suggests. Time spent in meaningful interactions with patients is a powerful driver of physician career satisfaction, but increased paperwork and time on the computer…

Gout Treatment & Care Remain Suboptimal

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A recent analysis compared the care of patients with RA with that received by patients with gout, finding that hospitalization and costs for patients with gout have increased, but both are decreasing for patients with RA. Unlike RA, significant advances in treatment have not been made for gout, despite its increasing prevalence, and patients may land in the hospital unnecessarily…

Advocacy Spotlight: Dr. Matt Heinz, Candidate for Congress from Arizona District 2 (Tucson)

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RheumPAC is the ACR’s political action committee dedicated to increasing rheumatology’s presence on Capitol Hill. It is the only PAC dedicated to the interests of all rheumatologists and their patients. RheumPAC began in 2007 with the purpose of building contacts, influence and visibility within Washington, D.C. for rheumatology. RheumPAC works to support and elect pro-rheumatology…

Conservative vs. Surgical: What Influences OA Treatment Choices?

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

Prior research has found that the use of surgery to treat osteoarthritis is increasing, while more conservative treatments, such as physical therapy, are underused. This disparity drove researchers to examine what influences a patient’s treatment choice. They found that a treatment’s characteristics—including a patient’s expectations for effectiveness and risk—affect decision making. Other influences: personal investment and circumstances, as well as support and advice from social networks and healthcare providers…

Psoriasis May Carry Atherosclerosis Risk Similar to that with Diabetes

Kathryn Doyle  |  

(Reuters Health)—People with psoriasis may be at increased risk of coronary artery calcium buildup, comparable to that of people with diabetes, according to a new study. Comparing people in their 50s with psoriasis, diabetes or neither disease, researchers found that moderate to severe calcium buildup was about five times as common in people with diabetes…