Famous Rheumatologist Quotes – Part I

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A famous quote from Verna Wright, MD, states, “Clinicians may all too easily spend years writing“doing well” in the notes of a patient who has become progressively crippled before their eyes".

Physician Burnout on the Rise

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Burnout among U.S. doctors affects more than half of practicing physicians, according to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. (Citation source http://buff.ly/1RpV8Q0)

DSB: ACR 2015 Safety Reports

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The following is a compilation of abstracts presented at the 2015 Annual ACR meeting in San Francisco. These were chosen on the basis of impact, quality and safety message.

SB4 - A Second Biosimilar Up For Review in Europe

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A biosimilar of etanercept (Enbrel) made by the South Korean company Samsung Bioepis is under consideration by regulators in the European Union. Samsung Bioepis, a joint venture between Samsung Biologics and Biogen, is taking aim with its version of etanercept.

Tocilizumab & Abatacept Effective in Giant Cell Arteritis

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Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medium and large vasculitis, wherein only glucocorticoids (GC) treatment has been the mainstay of therapy. As many will require prolonged treatment, the hazards of GC are well known, lead to substantial toxicity and morbidity.

Are Guidelines Worth the Cost?

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A thoughtful perspective on the purpose, focus and cost of guideline efforts in rheumatology has been published in the journal Rheumatology.

Anifrolumab Improves Lupus Outcomes

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Furie and coworkers presented the results of a 52-week phase II trial of anifrolumab (ANIFR), a type I interfernon (IFN) receptor antagonist in patients with lupus (SLE).

Western Diet Increased the Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Liu and coworkers from Boston presented abstract #1213, with data from the NHS II Survey. They examined 93,859 women (without RA) and their dietary data from 1991 to 2011.

Improving Cardiovascular Trends in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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 Myasoedova and colleagues from the Mayo Clinic have reported their new data that demonstrates improving cardiovascular (CV) mortality rates in current RA patients treated with modern drugs.

TNF Inhibitor-Induced Psoriasis

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TNF blocker Induced Psoriasis: Take Home Messages

2015 ACR RA Guidelines Released– Finally!

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ACR 2015 RA treatment guidelines were published yesterday, nearly a year after they were preliminarily presented at the 2014 ACR meeting in Boston. After a year of review and revision these have been posted.

Wine, Lupus, Pregnancy and Biosimilars: October 2015 -Top Social Media News

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In October 2015, RheumNow published 76 tweets about impactful news, research and teaching points that impact the rheumatology community. In October, RN had a reach (impressions) of 49,500, 79 mentions, and over 2000 visits to RheumNow.com to check out what we publish.

Study Backs CellCept for ILD in Scleroderma

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MONTREAL -- An immunosuppressive drug was as effective as a standard agent for interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with scleroderma, a researcher said.

Obamacare Deficient in Rheumatologists, Other Specialists

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The October 27 issue of JAMA reports a study of federal marketplace insurance plans shows roughly 15 percent completely lacked in-network physicians for at least one specialty, a practice found among multiple states and issuers.

FDA Panel Votes 10-4 to Approve Lesinurad for the Treatment of Hyperuricemia/Gout

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Despite concerns over safety, the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee voted favorably to approve lesinurad (LES) at a meeting held Friday, October 23, 2015. Overall, panel members felt the potential benefits of LES outweighed the safety concerns reviewed by the FDA presenters.

Decline in Physician Scientists Ahead

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The Journal of Clinical Investigation reports a potential decline in the number of medical researchers in the future.

Physicians Bash Meaningful Use at Open Forum

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Members of two professional medical societies griped about what they view as the Obama administration's inept attempts to regulate electronic health records (EHRs) and shared their visions for the ideal online platform at a second "town hall" meeting here Tuesday.

ACR/SPARTAN 2015 Recommendations for Ankylosing Spondylitis and Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis

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The ACR and SPARTAN (Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network) has worked together to study 57 specific treatment questions regarding AS and SpA.  The following guidelines have recently been published after conducting systematic literature reviews.

ICD-10 Tips for Procrastinators

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On October 1st, your coding memory will be getting a big and unwelcomed upgrade.

Even if the goverment shuts down, ICD-10 implementation goes forward.

Below are several sources to review what's ahead and what you should be focused on at this point.

Medical Societies to CMS: Not Ready for Stage 3 Meaningful Use

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Dozens of medical societies pressed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to temporarily halt implementation of the final stage of Meaningful Use, a program that rewards and penalizes clinicians based on how effectively they use electronic medical records.