Many of the specialty’s challenges and goals hinge on your participation
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Science from our Sisters
Recommended reading from A&R and AC&R
Reading Rheum
Handpicked Reviews of Contemporary Literature
Science from our Sisters
Recommended reading from A&R and AC&R
Readers Answer ‘Twenty Questions’
The March Rheuminations column, “Twenty Questions, Part 1” inspired many letters from TR readers. Here are just a few of those responses.
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.
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
What Has the ACR Done for You Lately?
The world in which we currently practice is not the same one we knew five to 10 years ago. Insurers second-guess our decisions and create numerous hurdles for us to overcome before our patients can be treated. Government agencies are seeking ways to reduce healthcare expenditures and improve what they perceive as a lack of quality and consistency in healthcare delivery. These groups, as well as Congress and employers (who purchase benefits for their employees), have begun a concerted effort to grade rheumatologists on the basis of what they perceive to be quality and efficiency and then pay us according to those criteria.
Zero Stars for Star-based Physician Ranking
Several insurance companies have tried to share quality information with enrollees by developing “star” systems to rank physicians. While star rankings may be a good way to pick a movie or restaurant, the ACR feels this system may be too simple to serve as a tool for identifying quality healthcare. Consumers need quality information, and need to know the true costs of medical services so they can make informed decisions about their healthcare. This idea is reflected in an executive order President Bush signed in August 2006 requiring government agencies to work with the private sector to gather and share data on the quality and cost of healthcare.