Focus Rheums| ACR Convergence 2024 Previews

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

Progress Made in Search for a Fibromyalgia Biomarker

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Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) all exhibit multifaceted manifestations, and many patients exhibit overlapping comorbidities. However, patients with FMS are distinct from others in that they experience widespread pain, fatigue and mood changes, including anxiety and depression. Although its hallmark symptom of pain causes rheumatologists to consider FMS a pain disorder,…

Rheumatology Research Foundation Hits 30-Year Milestone

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At the 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in Boston, the Rheumatology Research Foundation staff sat down with a few ACR and ARHP members to get their take on what the Foundation’s 30th anniversary means to them. We spoke with current and former leaders of the Foundation and the ACR, as well as numerous Foundation award recipients,…

Rheumatology: A Brief History

Charles M. Plotz, MD, MedScD, MACR  |  

The word rheumatology and its counterpart, rheumatologist, are new to the English language. They didn’t exist 50 years ago. There were a relatively few physicians interested in rheumatologic disease, but not the science of rheumatology. The American College of Rheumatology was founded in 1988. A few of us still alive, notably, the centenarian Ephraim Engelman,…

Rheumatologists Expand Reach Through Telemedicine

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What started out as a way to bring specialty medicine to rural areas around 40 years ago has evolved from sharing imaging and laboratory results to seeing and interacting with patients remotely. Telemedicine is beginning to evolve from its traditional urban–rural linkage, and rheumatologists are following along. “Telemedicine covers a variety of services, but it…

Rheumatology Nursing Book Addresses Core Principles, Resources

Iris Zink, MSN, RN, ANP-BC  |  

Dramatic changes have occurred over the past 50 years in rheumatology practice and management. As an integral part of the healthcare team, the rheumatology nurse must navigate these changes and the advancements in treatment options and care available for patients with rheumatic disease. Rheumatology nursing was recognized as a nursing specialty by the American Nurses…

Psoriatic Arthritis: Recognize, Manage Comorbidities

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As the literature on comorbidities linked to psoriatic arthritis (PsA) expands, it’s becoming more difficult for clinicians to keep up with what comorbidities should be assessed and how these comorbidities affect treatment selection. Given this, rheumatologists at the Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Cleveland Clinic and Hospital for Special Surgery in New…

Tips for Physicians on Handling Personal Problems at Work

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As a physician, it’s important to be in the present 100% of the time. “Writing the wrong number on a prescription pad is an extreme, but important, example of what could happen if a physician is distracted,” says consultant Donna Singer, Donna Singer Consulting LLC, Newton, Mass. Sanjay Chabra, DO, director of rheumatology, St. Jude…

Rheumatologists on the Move

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Maura Daly Iversen Named Catherine Worthingham Fellow by APTA Maura Daly Iversen, PT, DPT, SD, MPH, FNAP, FAPTA, associate editor of The Rheumatologist, was recently named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow—the highest honor among the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) membership categories. According to the award announcement, Worthingham “motivated others to make an impact within the…

Rheumatologist Sidney R. Block, MD, Relishes Role as Cantor

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Sidney R. Block, MD, has practiced rheumatology in Maine since 1975, where he now lives on the coast in Northport. He has received the Paulding Phelps Award and been recognized as a Master by the American College of Rheumatology. He is also a lay cantor for the Jewish reform congregation in Bangor, which he helped…