Recent News
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Physician Use of Augmented Intelligence has Doubled
A 2026 Physician Survey to assess artificial intelligence and its use in Medical Practice has been published and follows earlier surveys around adoption and use. This is the third in a series of longitudinal surveys (prior waves 2023, 2024), enabling meaningful trend analysis. AI adoption has more than doubled in three years and physician sentiment shifting decisively toward cautious optimism.
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Screening High Risk Myositis Patients for Cancer
An Italian retrospective study of 411 idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) patients applied IMACS criteria to assess the risk of cancer and found significantly more cancers in those at high risk.
https://t.co/AHvC5xfsCr https://t.co/Bd4VMRX9PU
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Retrospective observational study of IPAF (ILD w/ autoimmune) pts - from Mt Sinai ILD registry 791 - 14 Rx w/ rituximab vs 19 not. Betw group outcomes same: PFTs, O2 use, Infx, Resp admissions, mortality. RTX group recv more immunosuppressives. https://t.co/sle4a0JOFL https://t.co/SyhK12KhHY
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Rheumatoid Arthritis Faculty Panel Q&A
This expert panel from https://t.co/4UQlqwujiR 2026 brings together leading faculty to address real-world challenges in RA care, offering practical insights you can apply immediately in practice.
🎧 Listen here: https://t.co/DfGDbKUGoD https://t.co/TpCAIUyGF2
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Litifilimab in Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
Biogen has announced positive results of their Phase 2 study, evaluating litifilimab in patients with active cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE), presented at the recent American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting.
Litifilimab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that targets BDCA2 on Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (PDCs) and is being studied in CLE and SLE.
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Modest Benefits with AI Scribes on EHR Documentation
EurekAlert!
Documenting a patient visit in the electronic health record (EHR) is essential to healthcare delivery, but also a major contributor to clinician burnout. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled ambient documentation, or “AI scribes,” can automatically generate draft clinical notes for review after an appointment.
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A LESSON FOR GC OVERUSE: Inappropriate PPI use was Twice as successful w/ reduced w/ GP & Pt-facing intervention (15 vs 7%) vs usual care or GP-only intervention. Study of 1498 GPs, 34K pts https://t.co/4cxoeanAK8 https://t.co/FdfUdST40o
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Opioids Down, Gabapentins Up
The number of U.S. patients prescribed long-term opioid therapy declined from 2015 to 2023, but co-prescribing of opioids with gabapentinoids increased, prescription data showed.
https://t.co/iXEUfR18Is https://t.co/6DCUvGAW6N
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Top Four and More (4.10.2026)
Dr. Jack Cush reviews the news and journal reports from RheumNow this week - including his top four favorite subjects.
https://t.co/TUPky5m1Mo https://t.co/QRgh9SqcOF
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
NHIS 10yr survey of 195,600 Americans shows Chronic pain assoc w/ double rates of smoking & vaping. Smoking decr over time, but always higher in chronic pain pts (17.7% 2014, 13.1% in 2023) than w/o pain (12.5% 2014, 7.5% 2023). E-cigs incr over time, more w/ chronic pain https://t.co/iW7IDwHyJa
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Potential new mechanism of MTX Effx - MTX polyglutamates accumulates in monocytes by D5, modulates transcriptional signature “non-classical monocyte”-assoc genes by Wk4, & predicts MTX responses https://t.co/g14GONKgvq https://t.co/oyoua9xAN4
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Malignancies Not Increased with Biologic Therapies
The risk of malignancy in RA patients receiving biologic agents was evaluated by metanalysis of RCTs and found no significant increased risk of malignancy compared with other DMARDs or with placebo.
https://t.co/LM87wLjNoM https://t.co/KPGCcD7Q39
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Screening High Risk Myositis Patients for Cancer
An Italian retrospective study of 411 idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) patients applied IMACS criteria to assess the risk of cancer and found significantly more cancers in those at high risk.
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JAMA Guideline on the Management of Crohn Disease
https://t.co/GV0lICS8Sn https://t.co/aFWH5Tl4Jv
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
OL phase 2 study 50 active systemic JIA pts Randomized to IL-1 inhibitor, firsekibart or TCZ q2wk x 24 wks. At day 28, modified ACR Pedi 30response (no fever) favored FIRS 3mg dose (94% vs 75% vs 82%). Also higher ACR Pedi 70/90 responses & steriod tapers. https://t.co/8bdCLUFFLT https://t.co/ddQe7k25UE
Links:
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Global Study of #gout - incidence increased by 158% (from 1990 to 2023), during which mean onset agerose from 58 to 62 years; but % young-onset gout dropped 15.8% to 9.8%. #s due to aging, not younger onset. https://t.co/5pqMwPEnuj https://t.co/414vJHnBYi
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
2023 FDA’s removal of REMS in-person Rx requirement for mifepristone was assoc w/ large increase in mifepristone Rx at pharmacies (most thru mail order where abortion is legal and telehealth Rxing is permitted https://t.co/9NHMmxUpLl https://t.co/jkV5DmIaJt
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
TRACE study in 90 active axSpA, biologic-naïve, Rx w/ secukinumab 150 mg; @wk16 ASDAS remission in 30 (35%)& 55 incr SEC to 300 mg. By wk 24, 22% of 300 mg achieved ASDAS remission; but without signif change in MRI inflamm (SPARCC). Most MRI changes in 1st 4wks https://t.co/1ct22RdFZq
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Systematic review of plasma exchange (PE) in myositis (IIM) - 35 studies (mostly observational), 473 IIM pts (361 Rx w/ PE). Many reported improvements (publication bias). 7 comparative RCTs show no mortality benefit (severe ILD) (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.16–1.06, I2 = 70%) https://t.co/ox0pdUL3Ek
Dr. John Cush @RheumNow ( View Tweet)
Video
From the Blog
At first, it seemed similar to many other such sessions – a circle of folding chairs, a group of colleagues whose visages exuded understanding and acceptance – but this was special. I started the meeting…. “Hi, my name is Artie.”
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Podcasts
Top Four and More (4.10.2026)-
Whats New PsA? (4.3.2026)
PsA GRAPPA Domains- Outcomes With a JAKi-
Moral Distress (3.27.2026)
Therapeutic Updates
PsA GRAPPA domains: Outcomes With a JAKi
Sponsored by AbbVie Medical Affairs + Health Impact
Dr. Schwartzman and Dr. Ruderman discuss how PsA disease activity across GRAPPA domains may guide treatment decisions, sharing both the evidence for and their experience with a JAKi across domains.
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Poster Hall
