Blogs
The Medical History – Pitfalls and Preferences
By recognizing the limitations of memory and patient recall, I tend to focus historic elements that have high predictive value and avoid time consuming worm-holes in history-taking that have low predictive value. This leaves me with more time to listen to the patient.Prescription Drugs and the Effect on Access to Biosimilars in the US
The word “access” is thrown around a lot these days, particularly regarding health care and specifically, prescription medications. Access to medications essentially revolves around two things: availability and affordability. Immediately, pharmaceutical manufacturers come to mind, as they are responsible for production and setting the list price. However, ultimate availability and affordability of medications is shared with another entity. The final arbiter of access is the Pharmacy Benefit Manager. Their power resides in the fact that they control the formulary and determine the “preferred drugs” list. How does this relate to the uptake of biosimilars?
Best of 2017: Across the Table: Cush & Erkan on Antiphospholipid Syndrome
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a common disorder affecting patients with and without autoimmune disease. Despite wider recognition of APS among physicians as well as the expanding research collaborations, many clinical questions are still encountered in clinical practice, which require further evidence-based studies. In this “Across the Table” edition, Drs. Cush and Erkan discuss some of these APS-related questions. Our guest expert, Dr. Doruk Erkan offers up his approach to diagnosis and management of APS.
Best of 2017: Rules for Drug Cessation with Infection
Everyone gets their education about drug-related infection risk from television ads. Rheumatologists should know what the real risks are and educate their patients that they have a higher than normal rate of nonserious infections. But the infection risk is way more related to inflammation than any specific drug risk.
Best of 2017: The Retiring Rheumatologist
Just last week, I went to a doctor’s retirement party. It was festive, with honors and ribbing for the lucky one, but there was an asterisk to his milestone. Retirement was not anticipated or planned for. What is your retirement plan?
Death of the Dinner Meeting
Many years ago, rheumatologists would assemble with lunar regularity to discuss cases, journal articles or listen to a great visiting speaker or leader in rheumatology. While many of these meetings occurred at a local eatery, they were more about the meeting than the eating.
How to Present an Abstract at EULAR
Good News! Your research submission has been accepted for presentation at a national congress (i.e., ACR or EULAR). This is often a first step in the lifetime of a project – Abstract, Presentation, Full Write-up and Publication. Instead of being enthralled or overwhelmed with the notion of doing your first abstract, review my approach to creating, presenting and reviewing abstracts for a major medical meeting.
The Gender Gap in Rheumatology Leaders
Leadership positions in medicine are disproportionately filled by men. Although the enrollment of medical schools are equal male: female or even some have more women, 40% of American medical institutions lack programs for recruiting women, or for retention and promotion of female faculty.
This may also be true in rheumatology, which is now attracting more women than men as trainees. I recently wrote an article in the Lancet about mentoring women in medicine and suggested ideas for improving the gender gap in leadership.
A Busted Valise
Just because it’s busted, it doesn’t mean you have to fix it. At some point, it’s important to know when to leave “good-enough” alone. Such is the story of the "busted valise" and what to do about it.
A Rheumatologist’s “Quality of Life”
I tell my patient’s that I empathize with them. I understand that they do not want a rheumatologic condition, nor do they want to take our medications and are disheartened when I tell them that we have no cures. But, if we flip that proverbial coin over, my goal for their care is to improve their quality of life.In rheumatology, we have many ways to accomplish that goal for our patients; from medication management to advocacy and support groups for patients and loved ones. But what are you doing at work or home to improve YOUR quality of life and the lives of those around you?
Sexist Rheumatology
Cush and Dao are at it again. This time it's whether men or women are better patients. Cush says men are better patients; Dao says Er, not so fast bub! This is their light-hearted, gender biased debate on the best patients: Men vs. Women.
