Further, the Innovative Research Award provides funding to independent researchers to pursue ideas that could lead to breakthroughs in discovering new treatments for patients with rheumatologic diseases, improve patient outcomes and/or increase quality of care. The award provides support for studies focused on generating new insights into the cause, progression, treatment and outcomes of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The two-year award offers up to $400,000 ($200,000 per year). The next award term starts in July 2023.4
Recent Innovative Research Award recipients and ARP members include Daniel White, PT, ScD, MSc, an associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, and Susan Murphy, ScD, OTR, an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
“Our group felt the need to study telehealth for knee osteoarthritis given the COVID-19 pandemic and the closing of PT outpatient clinics, leaving patients without treatment options. As well, there is a major need to improve access to PT for all,” says Dr. White. “We are using the award to conduct a randomized trial to investigate if telehealth physical therapy can improve physical activity, function and pain in adults with knee osteoarthritis compared [with] usual care. … To date, we have recruited and randomized over 70% of our sample, who come from over 35 different states, and include 20% of people who are from underrepresented minority groups.”
Dr. Murphy explains that she received the Innovative Research Award with co-principal investigator Dinesh Khanna, MBBS, MSc, professor of rheumatology at Michigan Medicine and director of the University of Michigan’s scleroderma program, to conduct a clinical trial to test a resilience-based energy management program, called RENEW, for people with systemic sclerosis.
“In this project, we are examining whether the RENEW program has effects on fatigue and other symptoms, like pain interference and depressed mood. The program has online and app-based learning modules from established cognitive behavioral therapy treatments and positive psychology theory to address different health behaviors, and we have trained patient partners who also have systemic sclerosis to serve as health coaches in the program,” Dr. Murphy says. “The clinical trial is going very well. We have about 100 people enrolled so far, with a goal of 168 participants. Because all study procedures are remote, we have participants from seven countries in the world taking part.”
Looking Ahead
Dr. Benham notes that as ACR Convergence 2022 will be in person again, the Student and Resident ACR Convergence Scholarship will cover registration fees and $2,000 for travel expenses, plus a one-year ACR/ARP membership for students interested in a career in rheumatology. As a part of the Foundation’s Choose Rheumatology campaign, the award aims to introduce students and residents in areas of the U.S. underserved by rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals to the specialty of rheumatology. Students and residents from racial and ethnic groups who are underrepresented in health-related science are also eligible to receive the award. At the meeting, which runs Nov. 10–14 in Philadelphia, awardees will attend a Choose Rheumatology event.5,6
