Blogs
EULAR 2016: Name that Country - Part I
When I was just a lad in the 1950s, I used to enjoy a television quiz show called “Name that Tune.” This popular show, which was hosted by an amiable singer and comedian named George DeWitt, had a premise that was simple but appealing. The studio orchestra would start playing the notes of a song and the two contestants would compete to see who could identify the song first, running across the stage “to ring a bell and name that tune.”
The Purse Exam: a Forgotten Part of the Physical
Should you assess your patients' “purse-onality? The purse exam is an important part of the physical that can help make the diagnosis and improve patient outcomes. I often wonder if downsizing the purse should be part of the T2T (treat to target) initiative.
MONEYBALL
The movie Moneyball is a David versus Goliath tale with the A’s (David) struggling to compete with Goliath teams like the Yankees. The movie pits hunch-driven “expertise” (convention) against a mathematic approach to decision making (Moneyball). Would you trust a big Whopper computer printout of next best drug(s) to give to Mrs. Hawking who has psoriatic arthritis and needs to start a DMARD? I believe most of you would huff and scoff at a formulaic or number-driven approach.
Piece of My Mind
You know so much, and they have too much to learn, but limited time and few opportunities make it difficult to share information and fill that gap - especially in a way that will “stick” and be meaningful to the patient. When tempted to give patients 'a piece of my mind', here are some things to consider.
Time for a Paradigm Change in Rheumatoid Arthritis
How many clues are needed for a rheumatologist to know something is wrong with the therapeutic soup he/she is trying to concoct? One patient's tale leads to rethinking the RA treatment paradigm.
The Brooklyn HAQ
The Health Assessment Questionnaire is a utilitarian outcome measure, often used in clinical trials and daily practice. Unless you’re still prescribing penacillamine, never attended an ACR meeting, and never read an RA clinical trial, you’re quite familiar with the HAQ and its use in practice. So, surely you’ve heard of the “Brooklyn HAQ”?
Wine (and Food) and the Rheumatologist Attends EULAR 2016
After several months’ hiatus, I am back and writing about my recent trip to London. My past blogs centered on wine from my rheumatology-related trips and experiences. Moving forward I'm adding a culinary dimension; hence, it will be Wine, Food and the Rheumatologist. My bone fides? Well, I like to eat, that is for sure - but more than that, I like to cook.
Morning Stiffness Madness
Rheumatologists distinguish themselves from their medical colleagues in several ways: exceptional joint exam and joint injection skills, interpretation of complex immunologic findings and cost-efficient ways of managing common musculoskeletal disorders. But what’s the one trait, skill or question that defines the acumen of the rheumatologist? Please don’t say morning stiffness.
Listen to the Patient…She’s Telling You the Diagnosis
I had a 20-minute visit scheduled with Mrs. Goldstein yesterday. She is a thin, foreign-born, older woman with rheumatoid arthritis, recently complicated by lymphoma. As I sat, I asked “where is your husband this morning”, as he usually attends her medical visits. I had already turned to the computer and started to bring up her file, meds, etc. There was a long pause before she finally answered.
Improving Drug Safety Communications
pWhat do you call it when you say one thing and the listener hears something else? Potential answers would include hard of hearing, parenting or the physician-patient relationship.
