Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

The RA Body Connection

Terry Hartnett  |  

Novel research explores a possible link between BMI and RA

Safety First

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Phase 1 clinical trials present recruitment challenges for rheumatology researchers

Opportunities Abound at Annual Meeting

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The 2008 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting will offer multiple opportunities for attendees to increase their knowledge of rheumatic diseases. New educational programs and returning favorites will give attendees multiple chances to enhance their education and make good use of their time at the meeting.

Pseudogout

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Pseudogout is a type of arthritis that, as the name implies, can cause symptoms similar to gout, but which are a reaction to a different type of crystal deposit. This type of arthritis may be one of the most misunderstood forms, and is often mistaken for gout and other conditions, including RA. Proper diagnosis is important because untreated pseudogout may lead to a severe form of joint degeneration and ongoing inflammation, resulting in chronic disability.

REF and AF Partner to Provide an Additional “Bridge Funding”

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Fostering promising investigators is imperative to the future of rheumatology, so when the ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) board of directors discovered that outstanding applicants were not being funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) K-series grant program (the NIH’s career development award program) due to budgetary constraints, the REF quickly called a meeting with the Arthritis Foundation (AF) and the NIH to discuss a solution.

Help Find a Cure for RA

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The ACR REF established the Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) campaign in 2006 with one goal in mind: to find a cure for RA.

Coding Tip: When To Use 99211

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Many rheumatology practices don’t know when to bill the nursing code 99211. Because of this confusion, some practices shy away from using it at all, and some overuse it.

Where Do RheumPAC Donations Go?

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RheumPAC has been a standing committee of the ACR since 2007. The PAC was established to increase the ACR’s presence in Washington, D.C., and is charged with managing the contributions to congressional campaigns, as well as soliciting the membership for funds to increase the purse for these contributions.