SAN DIEGO—Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their impact on drug prices and access to high-cost medications by the patients rheumatologists treat was a major theme at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8. In one session, industry experts tried to clarify the role for prior authorizations and drug formulary policies and explored ways to constructively…
SAN DIEGO—In many regions, rheumatologists are scarce, and shortfalls will only increase. Panelists in the session, Telehealth: Can It Expand the Rheumatology Workforce?, held Nov. 6 during the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, believe technology can help bridge the gap. The more specific term, telemedicine, “refers to clinical care delivered from a distance,” said John A….
SAN DIEGO—Doctors vote less frequently than other professionals, even than farmers, reported Sen. Tim Hutchinson, who is the ACR’s lead lobbyist inside the Beltway, during an Introduction to Advocacy workshop at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting Nov. 3–8.1 Sen. Hutchinson, who represented Arkansas in the U.S. Senate from 1997–2003 and is now a senior director…
Although two decades have ticked by, rheumatologist Michael Lockshin, MD, MACR, still remembers the enlightening nature of many conversations he had with his curious and persistent patient Barbara Volcker, the wife of former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker. “The conversations we had at that time led to the mission of the Barbara Volcker Center,”…
Education is a vital component of what the ACR provides to rheumatology professionals around the world, and the ACR’s commitment to continually expand options to access the latest science and medical education is critical to all involved in the specialty. This dedication is reflected in the ACR’s new mission, vision and brand promise, all of…
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…
Generating articles of incorporation, convening boards of directors, establishing nonprofit status: It’s no small feat to form a state rheumatology society, but with the right expertise, the results can be successful, according to the president of the Rheumatology Association of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Jody Hargrove, MD, who is in private practice with Arthritis &…
Greetings, advocates! Your government is back to work after ending a brief government shutdown by passing a short-term continuing resolution (CR), which will keep the government running at current funding levels into February. At some point, it would be great for Congress to pass a budget (instead of a CR) and to enact bipartisan plans…
Communication is invaluable when it comes to spreading the word about many different aspects of care for rheumatic diseases, whether it’s evidence-based patient education support for rheumatologists, information on access to medication options for patients or helping educate the public about the practice of rheumatology. That’s according to Kelly Weselman, MD, FACR, a rheumatologist with…
Receiving an RA diagnosis may be emotional and difficult for patients. By engaging the patient in learning about the disease and its treatment options, as well as cultivating a communicative relationship, rheumatologists can truly help a patient take control of their health…