Handpicked Reviews of Contemporary Literature
Coding Corner Question
March’s Coding Challenge
Coding Corner Answer
February’s Coding Answer
2007–2008 REF Award Recipients
The REF ensures the future of rheumatology by ensuring that there are well-trained rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals to provide quality care. To achieve this, REF maintains an extensive award and grant program with research, training, and education opportunities for medical students, fellows, clinicians, researchers, health professionals, and academic institutions.
ACR REF Launches ‘Within Our Reach’
The ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) has launched “Within Our Reach,” a national, multiyear, $30-million fundraising campaign aimed at accelerating innovative research on rheumatoid arthritis. RA—long considered one of the most disabling types of arthritis—has been a primary focus of rheumatologic research. Recent advances in the basic management of RA include targeted treatments and improvements in treating other types of inflammatory arthritis. Unfortunately, we still do not know the cause of RA or have a cure.
Physical Intimacy, Sex, and Rheumatic Disease
Sexuality is like the crazy auntie in every family. Everyone knows she’s part of the family, and she’s there at all the gatherings, but no one wants to talk about her, or to her,” says Amye Leong, MBA, of a subject she’s very passionate about: sexual experience and the rheumatology patient. Leong is the speaker for the April 17 ARHP audioconference.
ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium
Join the ACR in Chicago April 13–15 for the 2007 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. The symposium will start with a focus on lupus with presentations on pathophysiology, trial metrics, and a review of recently completed clinical trials. Saturday afternoon will include an update on several diseases including Sjögren’s syndrome, fibromyalgia, pediatric vasculitis, and myositis. Following RA presentations Sunday morning, the symposium will conclude with the always-popular “Year in Review” presentation.
Interprofessional Collaboration Opportunities Abound for ARHP Members
Meeting the needs of persons with complex, chronic diseases is increasingly challenging in a healthcare environment where the demand for high-quality comprehensive services is coupled with dwindling resources. According to the Institute of Medicine, “the ability to plan care and practice effectively using multidisciplinary teams takes on increasing importance as the proportion of the population with chronic conditions grows.”1 This kind of collaboration is increasingly important to ensure high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive patient-centered care.
Coding Changes for 2007
Note these CPT and Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code changes…
AMA and ACR Physician Practice Information Survey
The American Medical Association (AMA), with the support of the ACR and more than 60 other medical specialty societies, will begin conducting a multispecialty survey of America’s physician practices this year.
Twenty Questions, Part 2
Outcomes measures can standardize care—but they can’t standardize patients
Keep ACR at the Table
Without your help, ACR will lose its clout at the AMA
Your Representatives on Capitol Hill
Government Affairs Committee advocates on behalf of the ACR and all rheumatologists
Professional Partners
Rheumatologists and nurse practitioners team up to improve workflow and patient care
Target Remission
Strategies to identify and track remission in your RA patients