On May 11, ACR leaders representing the Board of Directors, Affiliate Society Council, Government Affairs Committee (GAC), Committee on Rheumatologic Care, RheumPAC Committee and Insurance Subcommittee went to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of the ACR/ARHP membership and our patients. The group, which represents 27 states and the District of Columbia, conducted meetings in…
Rheumatology practices of all sizes are considering the most cost-efficient and effective ways to achieve Meaningful Use.
Patients with rheumatic diseases may be undertreated for osteoporosis. To decrease fracture risk for at-risk patients, rheumatologists can engage patients in shared decision making with regular screening and education about treatment options…
Doctor-patient communication is critical for successfully treating rheumatoid arthritis. But a majority of RA patients report suboptimal shared decision making, sometimes due to language barriers, lack of time, limited health literacy and other factors. A recent pilot study sought to improve patient understanding and communication by employing an adapted medication guide and decision aid during clinical visits. Use of the tool, RA Choice, resulted in an increase in patient knowledge, and a majority of clinicians found it helpful…
Can a treat-to-target strategy achieve better outcomes for patients with spondyloarthritis? Insights from the latest data.
Insights into osteoporosis treatments as societies around the world age.
Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a slowly progressing muscle disease of unknown cause that currently has no effective treatment. IBM is the most common inflammatory myopathy in older individuals, with a rising prevalence of 18.2 per 100,000 in adults older than 50.1,2 The disease characteristically affects the quadriceps and finger flexors, and in later stages…
Should all patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) have a vascular ultrasound assessment? What treatments are the safest and most efficacious for patients with PMR? Frank Buttgereit, MD, answered these questions and highlighted the latest research on PMR in this session at EULAR 2024.
Long wait times for appointments, the rheumatologist shortage in rural areas—does telehealth solve some aspects of access to care for rheumatology patients? Three experts highlighted the data on remote care, unveiling surprising truths and misconceptions.
Clinicians should not rely on glucocorticoids as a first-line treatment of SARD-ILD in patients with systemic sclerosis, according to a strong recommendation in a new ILD treatment guideline from the ACR and CHEST. The guideline is one of two addressing the screening, monitoring and treatment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).