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U.S. Teaching Hospitals Are Expensive, But Have Lower Death Rates

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Academic medical centers, increasingly spurned by insurers for being more expensive than community hospitals, appear to have lower death rates for older adults than other facilities, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers reviewed millions of records for patients aged 65 and older and insured by Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly. They found…

Trainees Discuss Pros, Cons of Rheumatology Residency Rotation

Katarzyna Gilek-Seibert, MD, with Anais Ovalle, MD, Elias Jabbour, MD, Heather Ferri, DO, & Gabrielle Thottam, MD  |  

One day not too long ago, right smack in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was sitting at the roundtable of our conference room, also known as the solarium due to its sunny disposition. The spirit was high, and we all felt like we could bring some joy to the clinic that day. I…

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Tips for Managing Young Adult Rheumatology Patients

Gregory Taylor, MSW, RCSW  |  

Often, young adults (18–23 years old) with rheumatic illness demonstrate poor adherence to treatment regimens, lack advocacy skills and have inadequate knowledge about diagnosis and treatment.1 Patients presenting at a transition clinic are typically comfortable with having their parents continue to be centrally involved with their care, but this is a time in life when…

Demand for Arthritis Care in America Outstrips Supply of Practicing Rheumatologists

Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD  |  

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month. The ACR is committed to ensuring that arthritis and rheumatologic diseases are at the forefront of public awareness—and that better, safer treatments reach Americans in need. Fortunately, the federal government is also doing its part and has just released a major report on the national impact of arthritis. A…

Four-Week Methotrexate Break Improves Flu Shot Response in RA Patients

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Temporarily withholding methotrexate (MTX) can improve the efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a new randomized clinical trial. Response was strongest in patients who discontinued MTX for two weeks before and two weeks after receiving the flu shot, Dr. Eun Bong Lee of Seoul National…

5 Easy-to-Implement Quality Improvement Projects for Rheumatology Practices

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Quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI) work makes sense to focus on. However, finding the time and resources for QI projects is not always easy. Until now, the business case for QI in rheumatology practice has not always been clear. However, this is changing with implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA)…

Medical Schools Address Bias, Diversity, Inclusion in Variety of Ways

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“What are you?” A faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine posed this question to a resident while attending rounds. Both were portraying a scene involving micro-aggression during Differences Matter, a three-day orientation for first-year medical students. On the program’s first day, students are introduced to unconscious bias and…

Rheumatologists Respond to Prescription Opioid Analgesic Crisis

Larry Beresford  |  

The alarming statistics on prescription opioid overdoses are well known to medical professionals, thanks to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s widely cited finding that deaths from opioid analgesics have increased fourfold since 1999.1 Half of all fatal drug overdoses now involve opioids prescribed by a doctor. Meanwhile, a lack of rigorous research…

How MACRA Has Affected Physician Compliance

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In recent years, providers and practice groups have been worrying about Meaningful Use (MU) and gaining knowledge on using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to avoid payment penalties, earn incentives and increase practice efficiency. Now, with the release of the final rule for MACRA payment reform, physicians will have two options for payment paths:…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answers: Eligibility Quiz

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Take the challenge. B—Most employer insurance plans change on Jan. 1. Because of this, it is a best practice for medical office staff to ask if there is any change to a patient’s medical coverage. Even if the patient indicates there are no changes in coverage, staff should still request to review their insurance card….