Rheumatologists want to be the best clinicians possible, provide consistently exceptional care to patients and serve as role models for colleagues and trainees. In the Lessons from a Master Clinician series, we offer insights from clinicians who have achieved a level of distinction in the field of rheumatology. Michael H. Weisman, MD, is a professor…
Many physicians struggle with work–life balance, and burnout is a growing professional concern. New research suggests professional coaching may effectively reduce emotional exhaustion in physicians and improve their quality of life…
Dan Reynolds, the lead singer of the Grammy award-winning band Imagine Dragons, has partnered with Novartis to increase awareness of ankylosing spondylitis.
It’s often said the eyes are the window to the soul, and in the case of ankylosing spondylitis and other spondyloarthropathies, one can also say the eyes are the window to systemic disease. Although uveitis occurs in approximately 2–5% of patients with inflammatory bowel disease, 6–9% of patients with psoriatic arthritis and 25% of patients…
The prevalence of chronic opioid use among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) doubled between 2002 and 2015, especially among patients with severe pain or on antidepressants, according to a new study.1 The study adds to prior data reporting trends in chronic opioid use in RA patients.2,3 Severe pain was the strongest predictor for use of…
When evaluating patients with possible myopathic symptoms, rheumatologists must consider a rare, but important, group of inherited disorders: the metabolic myopathies. However, their diagnosis often remains a challenge. Early recognition of these primary metabolic myopathies is essential to help prevent disease morbidity and mortality from rhabdomyolysis. Here, we focus on the metabolic myopathies that present…
Detecting interstitial lung disease in RA patients can be challenging. But evaluating risk factors and the use of imaging can help clinicians identify and manage this condition in patients…
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), scleroderma and lupus often require management input from both rheumatologists and dermatologists. Usually patients see the two specialists separately. Combining both in a single rheumatology/dermatology clinic appointment can improve outcomes and increase both provider and patient satisfaction. “Physicians talk about tearing down silos of care, where each specialist focuses on their part…
“Congratulations! You have matched!” With Match Day in the rearview mirror and residency nearing an end, incoming fellows prepare for the next road trip on their journey to becoming a rheumatologist. Residency molds new graduates into competent physicians by providing an overview of general medicine and teaching them the clinical and professional skills necessary to…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Professional coaching can improve the well-being and reduce the distress of physicians, researchers have found. “With over 40% of physicians having substantial symptoms of burnout, professional coaching is one strategy that should be offered to help them recover,” Liselotte N. Dyrbye, MD, MHPE, from Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Mn., tells Reuters Health by…