Focus Rheums| ACR Convergence 2024 Previews

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

Global Life Expectancy Rises, but People Live Sicker for Longer

Kate Kelland  |  

LONDON (Reuters)—People around the world are living longer, but many are also living sicker lives for longer, according to a study of all major diseases and injuries in 188 countries. General health has improved worldwide, thanks to significant progress against infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, in the past decade and gains in fighting…

Ustekinumab Found to Be Effective in Adolescents with Psoriasis

Rob Goodier  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Adolescents with moderate to severe psoriasis may respond to the human monoclonal antibody ustekinumab as well as adults, with no unexpected side effects, a new study found. The findings are exciting in part because patients in this age group have limited treatment options, the study’s lead author Dr. Ian Landells, of Memorial…

U.S. Business Groups Call for Probe of Medical Funding Industry

Alison Frankel & Jessica Dye  |  

(Reuters)—Two business lobbying groups this week called on the Consumer Financial Protection Board to investigate the medical funding industry after a Reuters investigation revealed that private investors are funding operations for women who have sued makers of surgical implants. The American Tort Reform Association and DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar told Reuters on Tuesday…

Surgeon Performance Unaffected by Fatigue from Overnight Work

Gene Emery  |  

(Reuters Health)—Going without sleep the night before does not affect the performance of doctors doing elective surgery the next morning, according to a new Ontario study that runs contrary to research demonstrating that sleep-deprived physicians pose a hazard to patients. The odds of having a surgery-related problem were 22.2% when the doctor had been treating…

Project Increases Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates in Rheumatology Patients

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—A multicomponent intervention can significantly increase pneumococcal vaccination rates in pediatric rheumatology patients, researchers report. “The interventions outlined in our article can easily be implemented in pediatric rheumatology practices or other subspecialty clinics,” Dr. Julia G. Harris from Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., told Reuters Health by email. “It takes additional…

ACR Issues Physician-Driven Position Statement on ABIM’s Maintenance of Certification Requirements

American College of Rheumatology  |  

ATLANTA—The American College of Rheumatology has released a statement outlining the ACR’s position on the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM’s) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) requirements. The position statement was drafted and vetted during a three-month collaboration between ACR leadership and its members where nearly 1,100 rheumatologists provided feedback that was used to formulate the…

One-Year Transition Period May Ease the Pain of ICD-10

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As the Oct. 1 deadline to transition to ICD-10 approaches, the CMS has released multiple resources, including a joint guidance statement with the AMA that details one year of claims leniency to help physicians adjust to the new coding system and smooth the transition process…

Women, Minorities Continue to Be Underrepresented in Medicine

Megan Brooks  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Continued efforts are needed to increase the number of women and minorities in graduate medical education (GME) to ensure a diverse U.S. physician workforce, say the authors of a research letter published today. “Diversifying the physician workforce has been discussed as requisite to addressing health disparities and inequities. Minority physicians continue to…