Rheumatologists can act as advocates for patients and their families in a way that supports targeting vasculitis early. Here’s how…
The Pop Star Effect & Lupus: Celebrity Cred May Help Raise Awareness of Rheumatic Disease
This year, Selena Gomez underwent a kidney transplant as a result of damage from living with lupus. But how can this celebrity story aid rheumatologists? Many see it as an opportunity to raise awareness or create a dialogue with primary care physicians. But for lupus patients, it can be a reminder for them to take control of their own wellbeing, according to rheumatologist Susan Manzi, MD, MPH…
Year in Review: The ACR Advances Education, Rheumatic Disease Awareness, Strategic Planning in 2017
It seems like yesterday I was asked to write my first presidential column, and here I am penning my last. It’s incredible how fast the time goes and yet how much gets done. That progress is made possible by the dedicated and talented group of ACR volunteers and staff. This year, the College has had…
Support Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month in September
Wider awareness and understanding of the more than 100 different rheumatic diseases is a vital element in our work as rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. Stimulating interest and engagement among lawmakers, patient groups and the public at large is essential to successful advocacy efforts, as well as the overall future of our specialty. This September,…
Beyond Awareness: August Is Psoriasis Action Month
This month, the National Psoriasis Foundation is urging patients and rheumatologists to take charge of psoriatic disease by setting ambitious treatment goals to achieve better health outcomes…
The ACR Gears Up for Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month in September
Awareness can be an ambiguous term, but it makes all the difference in rheumatology. The first weeks and months following the onset of rheumatic disease symptoms are known as the window of opportunity. Prompt treatment can prevent damage to joints and other organs, improve long-term function and increase the likelihood of achieving disease remission. But…
Why I Advocate for Rheumatology: Teaching the Basics
If you speak to any advocate for rheumatology, each of us has an “Aha! moment,” when we learned the importance of advocacy. My own came a dozen years ago. I was meeting with a legislative aide to a local congressman who was a senior member of the committee overseeing Medicare. He introduced himself as the…
Sjögren’s Awareness Month: Educate Patients, Families, Caregivers
April is Sjögren’s Awareness Month, a time for rheumatologists to help educate the public and themselves about Sjögren’s syndrome and its diagnosis. With newly published clinical practice guidelines, Nancy Carteron, MD, encourages rheumatologists to be first responders for this patient population…
The ACR Teams with National Bone Health Alliance to Increase Focus on Osteoporosis, Bone Disease
Bone health in general, and osteoporosis in particular, is among the most common conditions seen in rheumatology practices. The ACR recently joined the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) to reach out to other stakeholders. “In 2004, the Surgeon General of the United States published a report on osteoporosis that discussed in depth the gaps in…
Osteoarthritis the Focus of New Ad Campaign
Exercise and weight loss are key messages of this public education effort