ACR Projects Significant Manpower Shortages for 2030

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosed by Two Simple Tests

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Researchers from the Oregon Health Science Center have reported that fibromyalgia can be distinguished from chronic pain by primary care providers (PCPs) who employ two simple screening tests: BP cuff-evoked pain and a single patient question, and pain induced by pinching the Achilles tendon.&nbs

The ACR17 RheumNow Week in Review - 1 December 2017

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Dr Jack Cush reviews nighlights and news from the past 2 weeks on RheumNow.com. This week's report includes new drug approvals, disappointing ACR guidelines, Lyme & Zika, infertility, dermatomyositis skin outcomes and myositis-associated cancer testing.

ACR Clinical Guidelines Flawed by Low Evidence

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JAMA Internal Medicine has reported that recommendations and clinical practice guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology are often based on expert opinion, but lack rigorous (grade A) evidence to support many of their recommendations. 

Physician Visit Times Vary Worldwide

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A metanalysis published in BMJ Open shows that for half of the world’s population, primary care doctor visits last less than five minutes and that the range is from 48 seconds in Bangladesh to 22.5 minutes in Sweden (US PCP visit averages at 20 minutes).

Prevalence of Arthritis Grossly Underestimated

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Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have published a new report showing that arthritis affected 91 million adults in the US in 2015 or 37% of the poplulation. Their prevalence estimate is 68% higher than previously reported arthritis national estimates. 

Opioid Crisis Costs US $500 Billion

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Reuters reports that the opioid crisis has cost the United States as much as $504 billion in 2015,  based on a White House economists report released this week. The White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) said the toll from the opioid crisis represented 2.8% of gross dom