As patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal disease age, the number of medications they take may increase (i.e., polypharmacy), which can result in unwanted side effects and serious adverse effects. Lee et al. offer considerations and insights into caring for aging patients in a polypharmacy situation to better meet their health and lifestyle needs.
ACR/ARP Access in Rheumatology—As part of ACR Education Exchange 2023, the ACR/ARP Access in Rheumatology meeting addressed some of the major challenges in coverage and payment that U.S. rheumatology practices face. Speakers included rheumatologists, rheumatology professionals, office managers and CEOs. The first section, Thriving, Not Just Surviving—Keeping Your Rheumatology Practice Solvent, focused on financial management…
How do healthcare providers enable positive outcomes for their pediatric patients while also addressing the disparities in care between patients of different ethnicities, gender and socioeconomic backgrounds? Experts addressed how changes in research and clinical care can improve outcomes for children experiencing healthcare disparities during a session at the 2023 Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium.
In recent months, many rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals have noted issues related to obtaining supplies of injectable and oral methotrexate for their patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (csDMARD), methotrexate is available as both oral tablets and as a subcutaneous injection for the treatment of RA and other autoimmune diseases.1…
Seppen et al. developed a smartphone application for patients with RA to assess the safety and efficacy of patient-initiated care, compared with usual care. By answering a weekly Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) questionnaire, patients were able to monitor their own disease activity between clinic visits.
Although progress has been made in recent years, rheumatologists still have a lot of questions regarding best management practices for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). During a session of EULAR 2022, Ricard Cervera, MD, PhD, described a holistic approach.
Uzma Haque, MD, addressed the management of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis, using patient case reports to demonstrate clinical decision-making, during a session of the 18th Annual Advances in the Diagnosis & Treatment of the Rheumatic Diseases symposium.
We read the article, “Rheumatologists Share Lessons Learned in the Wake of Hurricane Ida” (July 2022, The Rheumatologist), with great interest. This poignant account of the impacted patients and rheumatologists provides invaluable planning tips regarding medication loss, access to pharmacies and medical records, and strategies to avoid practice losses. The critical lessons presented in this…
At this EULAR 2022 session, one expert explains why he believes refractory gout is caused by mismanagement and discussed ways around treatment obstacles.
Dr. Jacob van Laar took a deep dive into the what defines difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis & how to approach these patients during EULAR 2022.