Transitions in medical care can be high-risk periods due to the loss of continuity in care and worsening of medical conditions. Approximately one-quarter of the estimated 18 million adolescents aged 18–21 years in the U.S. have chronic conditions, including rheumatic diseases. Interventions in rheumatology practice can improve transition processes. Transition-readiness assessment tools and transition-satisfaction scales are available for use in rheumatology transition processes…
Even Doctors & Nurses Don’t Always Have Healthy Lifestyles
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Even doctors and nurses don’t always follow the healthy lifestyle choices they recommend for patients to reduce the risk of medical problems, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, a U.S. study suggests. Although rates of these conditions appeared lower among healthcare workers than other people, the diseases were still common. They…
Chronic Care Management Payments Can Increase Primary Care Revenues
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Medicare’s new chronic care management (CCM) payments could boost revenues for primary care practices, but many could experience net losses due to opportunity costs of face-to-face visit time, according to results from a modeling study. “The loss of revenue when MD’s did all the work themselves was somewhat surprising,” Dr. Sanjay Basu,…
Alcohol Use Complicates Chronic Disease Management in Teens
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—High school students with chronic medical conditions who drink alcohol are more likely than their nondrinking peers to forget or skip taking their medications, according to an online survey. “I was surprised to see such a clear association between alcohol use and medication nonadherence—a finding which really brings home the need to…
How to Deliver Difficult News about Patients’ Diagnoses
Telling a patient that he or she has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia or another debilitating, painful and/or chronic condition can be upsetting for a patient to hear and difficult for a rheumatologist to convey. Given this, it’s important to prepare for the appointment. “Take a few minutes beforehand to contemplate…