The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) became law on Dec. 13, 2016, and emphasized interoperability in the exchange of healthcare information between healthcare providers, health information entities and patients. The Cures Act underscored unimpeded access to patient electronic health information (EHI) upon request, in a manner that is secure and updated automatically, and prohibits…
Nearly all adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic pediatric rheumatic disease require transfer of care to an adult rheumatologist, yet almost half are lost from care at the time of transfer.1-3 Although sometimes framed as a discrete event, transition refers to the longitudinal process, often spanning several years, in which AYAs and their families…
As with rheumatology care in general, the current demand for pediatric rheumatologists is greater than the supply of providers available. That imbalance is expected to increase significantly by 2030 unless action is taken, according to a new workforce study published in Arthritis Care & Research.1 The lack of pediatric providers is a serious problem that…
Volunteer leaders who are community rheumatologists share their thoughts about the professional and personal benefits of serving on ACR committees and encourage others to get involved.
The ACR has sent a letter to Cigna expressing opposition to the initiative, which jeopardizes patients’ health, interferes with medical decision making, undermines the doctor-patient relationship and may disproportionately affect patients of lower socioeconomic status.
A better understanding of knowledge gaps and increased engagement of underrepresented communities are needed to diversify rheumatology patient data in clinical datasets, registries and randomized clinical trials.
Pediatric rheumatologists are few and far between in rural America. Financial incentives, such as loan repayment, may help draw more providers to the subspecialty and the underserved regions of the U.S.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reopened the Extreme & Uncontrollable Circumstances application and indicated they will automatically apply the policy to individuals who do not submit data for 2020 Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
Despite revolutionary advances in pharmacologic treatments for many rheumatic conditions in recent years, some patients still fail to reach a desired state of living with their disease, notes R. Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR, a clinician and researcher in rheumatology, as well as the founder and director of Attune Health, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company that…
Rheumatologists play a critical role in healthcare delivery, especially with an aging U.S. population. Despite this, a workforce shortage exists—one that is projected to worsen.1,2 The ACR CareerConnection service is free to job seekers searching for opportunities in the field of rheumatology.3 This study examines currently available rheumatology employment opportunities across the U.S. The ACR…