Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

Are You a Meaningful User?

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As a follow-up to last month’s article (August 2010) about the final rule for the electronic health record (EHR) stimulus program—which offers up to $64,000 to eligible providers who are meaningful users of an EHR system—this month we will explore the minimum requirements for successful meaningful use, which take effect in 2011 and will build gradually each year of the program.

Coding Education at the Annual Meeting

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The Certified Rheumatology Coding Course and Exam will be available November 6–7 during the ACR/ ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in Atlanta. This educational session is designed to increase knowledge of coding and billing compliance for physicians, fellows-in-training, practice managers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and coders/billers in rheumatology practices.

Clinical Opportunities at the Annual Meeting: A Fellow’s Perspective

Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD  |  

Over the years, the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting has provided exceptional opportunities for all attendees, but it can be especially beneficial for rheumatology fellows, and this year’s annual meeting in Atlanta is no exception. The ACR Annual Meeting Planning Committee and the Fellows Subcommittee will facilitate several educational, mentoring, social, and networking programs specifically for the benefit of fellows.

Annual Scientific Meeting: Health Professionals’ Perspective

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Rheumatology health professionals seeking continuing education should include the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting on their list of must-attend meetings. No other conference offers more in rheumatic disease education and research, and this meeting provides a forum to network with over 11,000 physicians, scientists, and health professionals.

Your Coders Are as Good as Their Coding Tools

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Are your coders equipped with the latest coding information? Every year there are changes to the diagnoses and procedure codes, whether this is deletion or newly created codes. Along with coding updates, insurance carriers frequently adjust, delete, or create medical policies to reflect updates to procedures or diagnose codes.

Unique Meeting Accelerates RA Research

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More than 50 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) investigators from across the U.S. recently met in Ft. Worth, Texas, to share information, present data and results from their innovative RA research projects, and brainstorm ways to work more closely together to find a cure for the disease.

Congress Approves Six-Month “Doc Fix”—Now What?

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Congress’ May 24 vote to rescind the 21% Medicare pay cut for six months illustrates how important it is for rheumatology professionals and patients to be involved in the legislative process. It was the thousands of calls, e-mails, and letters from medical professionals and patients that spurred Congress to take action. However, the battle is not yet over. Medicare physician payments face the same 21% cut beginning December 1.

Social Media 101 for Rheumatologists & Health Professionals

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Ask any social media enthusiast to describe the value of social networking, and you will undoubtedly receive some variation of the following: Social media allows me to easily follow the latest news, converse with others about shared interests, and grow a virtual and face-to-face network. The most important thing for new users of social media to understand is that all forms of social networking—from Twitter to Facebook to YouTube—are only as valuable as the members of your social network. In other words, if you do not share common interests with the members of your online community, social networking will quickly become irrelevant and of little value. It’s about the relationships, not necessarily the technology.

French Scientist Honored with International Award

Sarah Gelotte  |  

Pierre Miossec, MD, of the department of immunology and rheumatology at the Hospital Eduoard Herriot and professor of clinical immunology of Claude Bernard University, both in Lyon, France, was awarded the Carol Nachman Prize for Rheumatology this May in Wiesbaden, Germany. The award promotes clinical, therapeutic, and experimental studies in rheumatology and is the highest international honor for rheumatology research. Dr. Miossec, a long-time researcher of the role of cytokines in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was honored for his discoveries of the functions of the T cell–derived cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) in this inflammatory disease.