Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

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

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Health Apps Often Lack Privacy Policies & Share Our Data

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Just because a health app has a privacy policy doesn’t mean the data will remain private, an analysis of mobile tools for diabetes suggests. In fact, privacy policies appear rare, and when they do exist, most state that user data will be collected and half warn that medical information will be shared with third…

Doctor Quality Ratings May Be Influenced By Setting

Madeline Kennedy  |  

(Reuters Health)—Patients give the same doctors different ratings depending on where their visit took place, according to a small U.S. study. Although doctors might act differently in an emergency department compared with a calmer office setting, researchers say the results also suggest that ratings are not a completely reliable measure of the quality of care…

Patients Get Mixed Reactions from Docs over Mail-Ordered Genetic Tests

Andrew M. Seaman  |  

(Reuters Health)—Patients who order direct-to-consumer genetic tests report mixed experiences when they take the results to their doctors, a new study found. About a quarter of people who ordered direct-to-consumer genetic testing from such companies as 23andMe reported discussing the results with their primary care doctors. But nearly one in five were not at all…

Parents Often Catch Hospital Errors Doctors Missed

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—Parents often catch medical errors that their child’s doctor missed, according to a U.S. study that suggests families may be an untapped resource for improving hospital safety and preventing mistakes. Roughly one in 10 parents spotted mistakes that physicians did not, according to the study of safety incidents observed on two pediatrics units at…

Los Angeles Hospital Paid Hackers $17,000 Ransom in Bitcoins

Reuters Staff  |  

(Reuters)—The president of Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center said on Wednesday that his hospital paid hackers a ransom of $17,000 in bitcoins to regain control of their computer systems after a cyber attack. Allen Stefanek said in a statement that paying the ransom was the “quickest and most efficient way” of regaining access to the affected…

Rheumatologist, Pain Physician Collaboration Vital for Better Pain Control

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Chronic pain can be one of the biggest challenges that patients and their physicians face. Rheumatology patients are no stranger to pain, and when pain goes beyond the scope of what rheumatologists can treat, collaboration with a pain specialist is common. “I refer patients to pain management when there is no underlying inflammatory condition, usual…

Opinion: Why Rheumatologists Should Adhere to Standard of Care

Bruce Rothschild, MD  |  

It is valuable to understand the semantics of consultant comments. A journal article I once read indicated that when a consultant reports having seen a series of individuals with a given problem, it means they have seen two cases. When they report they have experience with a problem, they mean they have seen a (one)…

Federal Compliance Mandates for Medical Practices

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Approximately 10 years ago, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued its first guidance on compliance as it relates to federal mandates for physician practices. Although taking the necessary steps can be a daunting task in an era of complex rules and heightened regulations, there are key areas of government-mandated compliance requirements that practices should…