ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In her ARP keynote address on Friday, Nov. 6, Empowering Patients to Make an Impact on the Future of Healthcare, Jen Horonjeff, PhD, described a study in which researchers gathered data on pain and activity level among arthritis patients. In her view, the study provided a cautionary tale. Researchers expected the study subjects…
Some aspects of community practice are normalizing amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but the financial fallout and the need for increased safety precautions remain challenging.
With his clinic resuming in-person visits, Jay Mehta, MD, says his patients and staff have proved remarkably adaptable, embracing telemedicine during the early days of the pandemic and now facemasks during appointments.
The number of medications with rheumatologic indications has increased in parallel with expanding complexities of medication approval and delivery. Simply starting a patient on a biologic medication or new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) can be time consuming and frustrating for physicians, nurses and their support staff. In addition to educating the patient and obtaining prior…
As practice administrator for the past nine years at Emerald Coast Rheumatology in Lynn Haven, Fla., Andre Smith has worked to expand what was a single-provider, three-employee practice into an 8,000-square foot rheumatology clinic and 18-chair infusion center with two additional providers. Although not all rheumatologists have a practice administrator on staff, those who do…
We have all been there when a patient with a systemic autoimmune disease needs sudden coordination of care. Your patient with Behçet’s disease nonchalantly mentions he hasn’t been able to see out of his right eye for two days. The spouse of one of your patients with sarcoidosis writes to you on the patient portal…
ACR CONVERGENCE 2020—In 2020, terms like unconscious bias, diversity and inclusivity are buzzwords in rheumatology, as well as throughout American society. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed stark disparities in healthcare outcomes for rheumatic disease patients of racial and ethnic minorities, including new research that shows Black and Latinx patients have a higher risk of hospitalization and…
The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted rheumatology clinics and practices all over the world. In the U.S., many providers have used telemedicine to expand access to care for their patients while managing in-person visits. Brett Smith, DO, who practices at the Blount Memorial Physicians Group, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Knoxville, spoke with The Rheumatologist about…
Pandemic fatigue is affecting rheumatologists and their patients in different ways, says Nilanjana Bose, MD, MBA. But efforts are being made at her clinic to stay positive and ensure quality patient care.
As a health educator at Integrative Rheumatology, a private practice in Charlotte, N.C., Latisha Williams, MPH, CHES, CHC, works with patients to teach them how to better manage their disease. In the two-and-a-half years that Ms. Williams has worked at Integrative Rheumatology, she’s answered countless questions about exercise, nutrition and complementary therapies, among other topics. “Patients…