Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

IBD Patients Who Switch from Infliximab to Biosimilar See Mixed Results

Will Boggs MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can safely switch from infliximab to the biosimilar CT-P13, though they may face a higher risk of clinical relapse, researchers from Spain report. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of infliximab biosimilars in patients with IBD, but there are limited data about the effectiveness…

Gout & Sexual Function

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Pain, physical disability and joint deformity have been linked to sexual dysfunction. New research suggests gout may also significantly affect relationships and intimacy. The study found the physical effects of gout on intimacy, such as joint pain, were the top-ranked concern for gout patients…

Advocacy Up Close: Dr. Gary Bryant Discusses the Role & Benefits of RheumPAC

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RheumPAC, the ACR’s political action committee (PAC), is tasked with fundraising, vetting legislators, participating in Capitol Hill visits and developing important relationships for the College. During my interview with Gary Bryant, MD, the ACR’s inaugural RheumPAC chair, he shared his thoughts on the role of rheumatology advocacy in advancing clinical practice, research and education. ACR@Work: Have…

First-Year Medical Residents Spend Little Time on Patient Care

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Over a typical 24-hour shift, first year residents training in internal medicine spend just three hours on direct patient care and only 1.8 hours on education, a U.S. study suggests. Most of their time—an average of 15.9 hours out of every 24-hour shift—is consumed instead by “indirect patient care,” primarily involving interactions with medical…

Clusters of Autoimmune Liver Disease Suggest Environmental Trigger

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A large population-based study from the U.K. provides more evidence that some autoimmune liver diseases may be triggered by exposure to something in the environment. The study found a significant clustering of cases of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in well-defined regions of north-east England…

Coding Corner Question: How to Bill a Rituximab Infusion Visit?

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A 66-year-old female patient returns for a second infusion of rituximab for her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in multiple sites. She is rheumatoid factor positive. She says the pain in her knees, elbows and neck has slightly improved. She rates the severity of her pain at a 7 on a 10-point scale, which is an…

Coding Corner Answer: How to Bill a Rituximab Infusion Visit?

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Take the challenge. CPT Codes: 96413, 96415 x 3, J9312 x 5, 96375, J2920 Diagnoses: M05.79 Coding Rationale As of Jan. 1, 2019, the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code for rituximab was changed from J9310 rituximab 100 mg, to the new HCPCS code J9312 (injection, rituximab, 100 mg). According to a Verywell Health…

Time Plays an Important Role in Selecting the Best Services Billing Code

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The evaluation and management (E/M) code set in the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) book lists descriptors, as well as typical times for patient visits. These times are averages of how long it takes a physician to complete all components of a visit at each level. Because the specific times identified in the…