Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for December 2014. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
AMA Identifies Top 10 Issues That Affected Docs in 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The top 10 issues that affected physicians in 2014 include many regulatory issues relating to Medicare and data release, as well as health issues such as overprescribing of antibiotics and the Ebola crisis, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Ebola, ACA, VA Scandal Top U.S. Health News for 2014
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 31, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- It started as a deadly but little-known outbreak in West Africa, but the lethal and unchecked spread of the Ebola virus dominated U.S. headlines for much of 2014, making it one of the year's top health news features.
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Rural Rheumatology Telemedicine Services Satisfy Patients
MONDAY, Dec. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patient satisfaction is high with a rural rheumatology telemedicine service, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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2015 Medicare Fee Schedule Offers Payment for Chronic Care
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The 2015 Medicare Fee Schedule includes a Current Procedural Terminology Code that pays for clinical staff time for developing and implementing a care plan for patients with two or more chronic conditions, according to an article published Dec. 18 in Medical Economics.
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Many Gout Patients Not Receiving Recommended Urate-Lowering Rx
TUESDAY, Dec. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with incident gout, 44 percent fulfill indications for urate-lowering treatment at initial diagnosis, but many do not receive recommended treatment even years later, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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CKD, Glomerulonephritis Risk Higher for Those With Psoriasis
MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Psoriasis is associated with a higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glomerulonephritis (GN), according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Tips Offered to Docs, Spouses for Maintaining Happy Marriage
FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Simple tips can help physicians and their spouses maintain marital happiness, according to an article published in the American Medical Association (AMA) Alliance magazine Physician Family.
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Digital Self-Scheduling Set to Increase Considerably by 2019
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Digital self-scheduling is set to increase considerably in the next five years, according to a report published by Accenture.
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Challenges ID'd in Development of the Physician Compare Website
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), information must be made available to allow the public to compare physicians, although there are considerable challenges surrounding the development of the physician performance website, Physician Compare. These challenges are addressed in a health policy brief published online Dec. 11 in Health Affairs.
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Support for Electronic Health Information Varies With Use
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Consent and purpose are important for public support of secondary uses of electronic health information, according to a study published in the Dec. 16 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Physicians Reminded of Ethical Obligations Regarding Torture
TUESDAY, Dec. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- With the issuing of the new U.S. Senate report on interrogations, the American Medical Association (AMA) is reminding physicians of their ethical obligations relating to torture and interrogation.
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Physicians Should Scrutinize Job Offers Before Accepting
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should scrutinize job offers and pay attention to specific issues before accepting a job, according to an article published Dec. 3 in Medical Economics.
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Webcast Scheduled to Discuss Maintenance of Certification
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- New data relating to Maintenance of Certification (MOC) will be discussed in a free webcast to be held Dec. 17 by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
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Tips Offered for Docs to Manage Their Online Reputation
FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians can manage their online reputation, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Post-Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss May Ease Knee Pain
FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Current evidence, though limited, suggests that bariatric surgery with subsequent marked weight loss may reduce knee complaints in morbidly obese adults, according to research published online Dec. 8 in Obesity Reviews.
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Nighttime Focus May Be More Effective in Gout Prevention
THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Acute gout attacks occur two times more often during the night and early morning than during the day, according to study findings published online Dec. 11 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Increased Insulin Resistance in Rheumatoid Arthritis
THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have elevated insulin resistance (IR), but this is not associated with increased atherosclerosis risk, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Nutrition, Weight Loss Key in Mobility-Impaired Adults
THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nutrition and weight loss research is needed in adults with mobility-impairing conditions, according to a review published in the December issue of Obesity Reviews.
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More Students Enrolling in U.S. Medical Schools
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More students are enrolling in medical schools, and enrollees are more diverse than before, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
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More Docs, Patients Not Speaking Same Language
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People applying to become medical residents in the United States speak a wide range of non-English languages, but many aren't the languages spoken by patients with limited English skills, according to a research letter published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Exercise Eases Arthralgia Caused by Aromatase Inhibitors
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Exercise helps relieve aromatase inhibitor (AI)-induced pain in breast cancer survivors, according to research published online Dec. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Innovative Software Improves Chronic Rheumatic Disease Care
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic rheumatic disease, innovative software that aggregates, stores, and displays information can improve quality of care, according to research published online Nov. 24 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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Higher Paid Docs Earn More Money From More Procedures
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High-income doctors make more money by ordering more procedures for each patient rather than by seeing more patients, according to an analysis of 2012 Medicare data published in a research letter Dec. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Docs Trained in High-Cost Areas Practice More Costly Medicine
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors who were trained in high-cost areas of the United States may be more likely to practice expensive medicine, a new study suggests; however, that effect gradually decreases over time. The study was published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
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Work-Hour Restrictions Have Not Improved Outcomes
TUESDAY, Dec. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Reducing medical residents' work hours hasn't improved mortality rates, hospital readmission rates, or outcomes of surgery, according to two new studies published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
Abstract - Patel
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Abstract - Bilimoria
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Meta-Analysis: Oral Contraceptive Use Not Linked to RA Onset
MONDAY, Dec. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Oral contraceptive (OC) use does not appear to be associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although there is an inverse association between OC use and RA severity, according to a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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AMA: Social Determinants of Health to Be Taught in Med School
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new policy implemented by the American Medical Association (AMA) supports integrating more training on the social determinants of health into undergraduate medical education, according to a report published by the AMA.
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Antidepressant Effect Seen for Anti-Inflammatory Meds
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Anti-inflammatory agents may decrease depression and depressive symptoms, according to research published in the December issue of JAMA Psychiatry.
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Treatment Recommendations Developed for Nail Psoriasis
THURSDAY, Dec. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment recommendations have been developed for patients with nail psoriasis. The recommendations were published online Dec. 3 in JAMA Dermatology.
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Recommendations for Managing Pain in Inflammatory Arthritis
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 3, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Recommendations have been developed for the management of pain in adults with optimally treated inflammatory arthritis, according to an article published in the September issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Too Much Patient Care Tied to Faculty Members' Intent to Leave
TUESDAY, Dec. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Spending "far too much/too much" time/effort on patient care is associated with increased intent to leave the institution, according to research published in Academic Medicine.
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Doctor Discusses Ways to Keep Morale in Medicine High
MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Despite the many frustrations for doctors in medical practice, there are ways to keep morale high, according to an article published Nov. 20 in Medical Economics.
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Many Physicians Report Their Incomes Have Plateaued
MONDAY, Dec. 1, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many physicians report that their personal income has not changed since last year, according to the results of the Physicians Practice 2014 Physicians Compensation Survey.
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