Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

A Novel Study Compared the Effectiveness of Adalimumab with Tofacitinib in RA

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Your patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) isn’t responding well enough to methotrexate, and you both agree it’s time to consider a biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). But which one should you choose? In a treat-to-target era, we’re fortunate to have a variety of RA therapies at our disposal. Clinical practice guidelines from…

Ethics Forum: Thoughts on Managing Electronic Communication with Patients

James Topilow, MD, & Yvonne M. Golightly, PT, MS, PhD  |  

Recent proposals in the U.S. to bill for electronic communication with our patients could be seen as a refreshing but contested attempt to battle burnout rates in the present era. A fee for electronic communications between patients and clinicians also acknowledges the value of the clinician’s time and expertise. But is this ethical? Discussion Burnout…

The Importance of Health Literacy in Clinical Care

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EULAR 2023—It is not enough to practice medicine by the book; rather, communication with patients and understanding their goals for patients are vital to high-quality care. At EULAR 2023, the session titled The Promise of Health Literacy in Clinical Care provided a treasure trove of insights for many clinicians. Definitions & Actions The first speaker…

The ACR & ARP Relaunch the Advanced Rheumatology Course

Benjamin J. Smith, DMSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, Marcy Bolster, MD, Sonam Kiwalkar, MD, Julie Lahti, Anneke Smith & Sharon Ross  |  

The ACR and the ARP are preparing to relaunch the Advanced Rheumatology Course (ARC) with a fresh look and an enhanced format to facilitate the learner experience. Since its debut, the ARC, formerly the Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Postgraduate Rheumatology Training Program, has been a valuable resource for hundreds of nurse practitioners (NPs), physician…

3 AC&R Study Summaries: Fractures in Patients with SSc, Clinical Response in JIA, & TV & the Public Perception of Gout

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Fractures in Patients with SSc By Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD, MHS Why was this study done? To minimize disability due to systemic sclerosis (SSc), it’s important to prevent and manage complications. Many SSc complications and related medications may increase the risk for osteoporosis and fracture. We sought to identify modifiable risk factors for fracture in patients…

Benefits & Challenges of, & Potential Solutions for, Hybrid Conferences

Jamie E. Collins, PhD, Richard Conway, MB, BCH, BAO, PhD, Mrinalini Dey, MB, BChir, MA, MRCP, Laura B. Lewandowski, MD, MS, Jean W. Liew, MD, MS, Kaleb Michaud, PhD, Noelle A. Rolle, MBBS, Didem Saygin, MD, Grant S. Schulert, MD, PhD, Julia F. Simard, ScD, Beth I. Wallace, MD, MSc, & Kristen J. Young, DO, MEd  |  

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientific and medical conferences began to be canceled or postponed. Later, once the pandemic endured beyond the scope of weeks to months, many organizations shifted conferences to a virtual format. Now, as the federal government has ended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, effective mitigation measures, including vaccination, rapid testing, masking…