Blogs
Choice Overload (and the Way Out)
I recently overheard a very good practicing rheumatologist complain, “why do I need yet another drug for psoriatic arthritis? I have more treatment choices than I have actual PsA patients who need a new or better drug”.
Advancing PMR
Even though polymyalgia rheumatica is not perceived by many physicians as a severe diagnosis, its diagnosis and management actually propose significant challenges. I'd like to talk about those challenges, and what directions our path forward can include to advance our understanding and improve the treatment of patients who have PMR.
Unpopular opinion: spinach can be bad for you
PMR might be one of the most rewarding diagnoses to make in real practice: the patient comes to you in severe debilitating pain, and you prescribe steroids, giving them their lives back! As much as this impressive response makes your intervention appear almost magical, there is the often-forgotten story about the implications of such a diagnosis and treatment on patients' daily lives.
IL-6 Inhibitors in PMR: Give early or late?
It's exciting to be able to have this conversation because it's only in the past year that we have an approved non-corticosteroid therapy for PMR that's been shown to be effective in a well done clinical trial.
What Happened to the Pharma Reps?
Dr. Jack Cush weighs in on changes in pharmaceutical "detailing" with suggestions for the future.
ICYMI: A Shortage of Trust
I wanted to complain about patients who complain, but guilt and common sense took over. I intended to declare the problem to primarily belong to the doctor, rather than the patient. To me, the solution to the patient’s consternation should begin and end with the source: me (you). My introspection, reasonings, and commandments were fine, but I kept running into the enigma of “Trust” – which can either be a speed-bump or chasm in our physician-patient relationships.
A Card-Carrying Optimist
I may be a snarky, opinionated curmudgeon, but I'm an optimist when and where it counts. And I think you should join me.
ICYMI: The Biosimilar "Buy In"
The landscape of biosimilars is vast. This year alone we are expecting 17 biosimilars in rheumatology. While some pharmaceutical company and payer contracts are still under negotiation, we need to start preparing ourselves and our patients. Drs. Jack Cush and Arthur Kavanuagh shared insights into these key discussions during RheumNow Live 2023.
Why I Hire Women
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant points to a metanalysis of 63 studies, showing that women who assert their ideas, make direct requests, and advocate for themselves are liked less, AND they are also less likely to get hired. For me, these are exactly the attributes I am hiring - ideas, assertiveness, speaking up, advocating.
The Biosimilar "Buy In"
The landscape of biosimilars is vast. This year alone we are expecting 17 biosimilars in rheumatology. While some pharmaceutical company and payer contracts are still under negotiation, we need to start preparing ourselves and our patients. Drs. Jack Cush and Arthur Kavanuagh shared insights into these key discussions during RheumNow Live 2023.
