Experts in rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular health and education have joined forces to create a video intervention designed to help patients understand their risks for heart attack and stroke, as well as how to reduce these risks. Early research into this educational intervention shows the video is effective…
A 58-year-old African American woman with a past medical history of hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia, severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc) presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath (SOB) and progressive bilateral lower extremity swelling for three weeks. She denied any chest pain, but endorsed generalized fatigue and dyspnea…
When Marc McClintock first began experiencing back pain, he chalked it up to the rigors of his racing career. For more than 36 years, Mr. McClintock has built and raced stock cars, high-powered race vehicles that compete on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. “I live in a commercial building, with my residence on…
Every year, my program goes through a ritual—I scrub my face, put on a smile and meet hordes of medical residents from across the country. And every year, I do my best to convince all of them that Baltimore would be an amazing place for them to complete their medical subspecialty training in rheumatology. Now…
It happens every day. A new email pops up in a researcher’s in-box from a journal with a seemingly familiar name and an invitation to publish a research paper, present at a meeting or, perhaps, serve on an editorial board. Like many of her colleagues, Marian Hannan, DSc, MPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical…
A number of autoinflammatory syndromes that result from genetic mutations have been described recently. The vast majority occur in children. However, three periodic fever syndromes are important for rheumatologists who treat adults to know about. The goal of this review is to provide a concise description of each condition, and to help the clinician understand…
Mysterious Ways The juxtaposition of the old and the new was readily evident that busy Wednesday morning. My first patient, a 94-year-old gentleman, Hal, arrived with a precise request. His rheumatologist for the past 40 years had just retired, and he was searching for a doctor with expertise in the use of gold sodium aurothioglucose,…
Opening up to patients about a medical condition is a personal choice for physicians. But for Richard Brasington, MD, who has chronic back pain and arthritis, it helps him communicate with and connect to some of his patients. In an interview, he provides insights into his experiences managing pain on the job…
In 2010, the federal government published a guide, titled Basic Security for the Small Healthcare Practice, complete with best practices and checklists to help small providers achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.1 This year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR)—following a critical report of its HIPAA compliance audit and enforcement…
Medicine has traditionally been an apprenticeship model. The most elemental and constructive method of passing on knowledge is the mentor–mentee relational experience. Mentorship encompasses not only the role of teacher, but also that of coach, role model, advisor and confidante. Matthew J. Koster, MD, rheumatology fellow and instructor in medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., can…