Advance Practice Clinicians Proliferating in Specialty Practices

Save

An analysis of SK&A outpatient provider files, covering 90% of physician practices in the United States, shows that between 2008 to 2016, there was a 22% increase in the employment of advanced practice clinicians (APCs) by specialty practices.  By 2016, 28% of all specialty practices employed APCs.

ACP Policy Calls for Increased Efforts in Women's Health Issues

Save

The American College of Physicians have published a position paper in Annals of Internal Medicine calling for an examination of the challenges facing women in the U.S.

The RheumNow Week in Review - Nonadherence and Astronomic Costs (5.11.18)

Save

Dr. Jack Cush reviews highlights, news and journal articles from the past week on RheumNow.com.

Patients May Not Fill Your Prescription

Save

A new study linking administrative claims and electronic health records (EHRs) shows that nearly 40% of patients fill and take newly prescribed methotrexate (MTX), tofacitinib or biologics. 

Kan et al set out to estimate the extent and predictors of primary nonadherence in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who received new prescriptions for methotrexate, biologics or tofacitinib.

Rising Need for Weight Loss Counseling in Arthritic Patients

Save

The CDC's May 4th MMWR reports that from 2002 to 2014, the prevalence of health care provider counseling for weight loss among adults with arthritis and overweight or obesity increased by 10% (from 35% to 45%).

Among the 54.4 million adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis in the United States, 32.7% are overweight and 38.1% are obese. Moreover obesity is more prevalent among persons with arthritis than among those who do not have arthritis.

Tobacco Associated Deaths in the USA

Save

JAMA Internal Medicine reports that in the USA, those who smoke cigar, pipe, or cigarette have a significant overall  mortality risk, and a much highers cancer mortality risk compared to nonsmokers.

ACR Projects Significant Manpower Shortages for 2030

Save

Arthritis & Rheumatology has published the results of the 2015 Workforce Study of Rheumatology Specialists, and estimates a current shortage (demand > supply) of 700 (12.9%) full-time rheumatologists and that this deficit will worsen (102%) to 4133 FTE by 2030.

Medicare Drug Prices Jump Ten Times the Inflation Rate

Save

CNN reports that a new congressional analysis of Medicare drug pricing shows the prices of the 20 most commonly prescribed brand-name drugs have risen nearly 10 times the annual rate of inflation in the past five years.

Are ANA Tests Unreliable?

Save

Pisetsky and colleagues have reported in the Annals of Rheumatic Disease that ANA tests done on established SLE patients may yield surprisingly disparate results.

While ANA negative lupus was a problem of old assays and the loss of ANA positivity may be seen with chronicity or age, most rheumatologists believe that ANA positivity is an absolute requirement for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

T2T Improves Primary Care Gout Management

Save

Researchers from Geisinger Medical center tested a pilot primary care gout management improvement intervention, and demonstrated significantly improved primary care gout management metrics when a treat to target approach was implemented. 

RWCS Day 4 Podcast

Save

Listen in on the proceedings from the 2018 RWCS meeting in Maui, with excerpts from leading teachers in rheumatology. This podcast features presentations from Drs.

Future Shortage of Rheumatologists in the USA

Save

In Arthritis & Rheumatology, the American College of Rheumatology updates their projections for the rheumatology workforce between 2015 and 2030, noting that despite an aging population and an increase in the rheumatology fellowship positions, there will be a significant shortage of rheumatologists by 2030.

ACR Urges Reforms by HHS

Save

Dr. David Daikh, president of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has written a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in response to their Request for Information on Promoting Health Care Choice and Competition Across the United States.  

Problems with Biologic Drug Storage

Save

Is your patient’s refrigerator the problem with the inefficacy of biologic therapies? Studies show most patients don't store their biologics correctly, which may be a source of limited drug efficacy.

Rheumatology Physician Burnout and Depression

Save

The 2018 Medscape Physician Burnout and Depression report shows that 42% of physician respondents report "burnout" and up to 15% experience some sort of depression. In a survey of 15,543 doctors from 29 specialties, they found highest burnout rates in critical care and neurologists (48%), family medicine (47%), ob/gyns and internists (46%). Lowest rates were seen in pathology and dermatology (32%), and plastic surgery (23%). 

What did rheumatologists report?

40% of Arthritis Patients Fail to Receive Exercise Guidance

Save

The latest issue of CDC’s MMWR reports that exercise counseling among arthritis patients increased from 52% to 61% (2002 to 2014); hence ~40% do not receive health care provider counseling, suggesting the need for provider education and training in exercise counseling, and improved electroni

Malcolm Gladwell Weighs in on Humanizing Doctors Through Aesthetic Interests

Save

Malcolm Gladwell (along with coauthor David Epstein) is well known for his national bestsellers The Tipping Point, Blink, and Out¬liers; all addressing the psychosociologic side of human behaviors and trends.

New BSR 2017 Gout Guidelines (Best of 2017)

Save

The British Society for Rheumatology/British Health Professionals in Rheumatology first published a guideline for the management of gout in 2007. They have just updated and published their new guideline, largely because of new therapies, an increasing incidence of gout, low penetrance of urate lowering therapies, and the inability to achieve a target serum uric acid level.

2017 Update of Treat to Target Recommendations for SpA/PsA

Save

A 2017 international committee of experts met to assess and revise its earlier 2012 recommendations regarding treating to target in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA). 

Rheumatology Year in Review

Save

During 2017, the improvements and refinements seen during previous years in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have been extending to other conditions ranging from psoriatic arthritis to lupus and for both monoclonal antibodies and oral small molecule medications.