ACR on Air

So, what are we talking about today? A topic that comes up often between providers and patients—alternative and integrative therapies to help treat rheumatic conditions.  Dr. Chenchen Wang joins the show to talk about a few of the popular therapies available for common conditions, address a few myths, and offer insight on how rheumatologists can support patients interested in these alternative options.     While we are taking time to discuss this popular topic, the host, Dr. Wang nor the ACR are suggesting that patients with rheumatic conditions forgo traditional treatment plans recommended by trained rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. Patients should continue to see their rheumatologist for updates or additions to their treatment plan. 

This month, our host takes a look back on the telemedicine journey many health care providers and patients navigated in 2020. Dr. Christine Peoples and Dr. Aruni Jayatilleke join as guests sharing their experiences and tips on digitally treating patients with rheumatic diseases.

This show is a special one and covers a topic that so many of you have been asking about! The American College of Rheumatology just released its guidance on the COVID-19 vaccine for patients with rheumatic diseases, and we have the lead author, Dr. Jeff Curtis, on with our host to discuss the research and recommendations.      Throughout the show, you will hear Dr. Curtis the ACR’s recommendation that all patients with rheumatic diseases should get the vaccine and that it does not matter which one you get—just make sure your second dose is by the same brand. Bottom line: get whichever one is available to you as soon as you can get it.   They also discuss the process of developing the ACR guidance, the experts involved including epidemiologists, rheumatologists, and infectious disease clinicians; and how they plan to keep the document updated.   And finally, they discuss the safety and efficacy of the vaccines despite how rapidly they were developed, the low risk of disease flares, and the importance of ongoing research on this topic.   This is the episode you want to listen to NOW!  

This month’s show focuses on advocacy in the rheumatology space. Our host chats with Lennie Shewmaker McDaniel, director of congressional affairs for the ACR; and Amanda Grimm Wiegrefe, the ACR’s director of regulatory affairs about advocacy wins and losses for 2020, the upcoming priorities for 2021, and how listeners can get involved.  

This month’s show features a guest author discussing, Dr. Yusuf Yazici, discussing his team’s efforts to create a drug treatment for osteoarthritis. The study was published in the American College of Rheumatology’s journal, Arthritis & Rheumatology.

This month we’re giving you a preview of ACR Convergence 2020, the ACR’s annual meeting, which will be held Nov. 5 – 9 in an all-virtual environment. Our host chats with Dr. Vicki Shanmugam and Dr. Swamy Venuturupalli about the shift to a virtual event this year, what’s changing and staying the same, must attend sessions including special COVID-19 discussions and what participants can expect from this all-encompassing experience. 

It’s Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, RDAM for short, and in this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Kanika Monga about a few of the 100+ rheumatic diseases, the 54 million Americans with a rheumatic condition and the results of a nationwide patient survey. RDAM is hosted every September by the American College of Rheumatology and its Simple Tasks™ awareness campaign.

ACR on Air is back for Season 2 with a very important topic for the rheumatology specialty. Listen as our host chats with Dr. Lisa Sammaritano and Dr. Ware Branch about reproductive health for patients with rheumatic diseases.

The special COVID-19 series continues with a discussion on how to keep your practice going during this pandemic. Our host chats with Dr. Chris Phillips, who runs a solo practice in Kentucky, and Dan Redinger, an ACR staffer who is keeping his eye on the federal government's COVID-19 stimulus package. Listen as they share best practices and tips for health care providers during this unprecedented time.