Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for March 2017. 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.
Vertical Integration Insurance Products of Higher Quality
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance products offered by hospitals and health systems, known as vertical integration, are generally of higher quality than other contracts, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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90 Percent of U.S. Physicians Satisfied With Career Choice
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nine out of 10 American doctors are happy with their choice of profession, even though they have some challenges, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) survey of 1,200 doctors, residents, and medical students, conducted in February.
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Doctors Should Evaluate Hand Function in RA, Systemic Sclerosis
THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Assessment of hand function is an important component in the clinical evaluation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a study published online March 21 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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TV Ads for ACA Enrollment Linked to Decline in Uninsured Rates
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The volume of insurance advertisements during the first Affordable Care Act enrollment period correlated with change in uninsurance rates, with a higher volume of television advertisements linked to declines in uninsurance, according to a study published online March 15 in Health Affairs.
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ACP Issues Challenge to Cut Task Burden and Put Patients First
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a position paper published online March 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are presented to address the impact of administrative tasks and reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.
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Paid Malpractice Claims Cut in Half From 1992 to 2014 in U.S.
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- From 1992 to 2014 there was a decrease in the rate of malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians in the United States, but mean compensation amounts increased, according to a study published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Ultrasound IDs Ankle Pathology in Inflammatory Rheumatic Dz
FRIDAY, March 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with different types of inflammatory rheumatic diseases have distinct ankle pathological findings on ultrasonography, according to research published online March 13 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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30-Day Mortality Down During Joint Commission Survey Weeks
THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to the hospital during The Joint Commission on-site inspections (surveys) have reduced mortality compared to that seen during non-survey weeks, according to research published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Black, Asian Medical Students Less Likely to Be AΩA Members
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Asian medical students are less likely to be members of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) honor society than white students, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Intradiscal Steroid Offers Short-Term Relief of Lower Back Pain
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) with active discopathy, a single glucocorticoid intradiscal injection (GC IDI) is associated with reduced LBP at one month but not 12 months after the intervention, according to a study published online March 21 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Los Angeles eConsult Program Can Reduce Wait Times
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of an electronic system for provision of specialty care was rapidly adopted in Los Angeles, and it can reduce wait times to see specialists, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Tocilizumab Useful for Uveitis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)-associated uveitis refractory to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy, tocilizumab (TCZ) is beneficial, yielding improvement in all ocular parameters, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Tx Beneficial for Systemic Sclerosis Ulcers
THURSDAY, March 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may be beneficial for treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) ulcers, according to a report published online Feb. 23 in the International Journal of Dermatology.
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Women Underrepresented Among Grand Rounds Speakers
WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women seem to be underrepresented among academic grand rounds (GR) speakers, according to a research letter published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Low Self-Esteem Linked to Anxiety/Depression in SLE
WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), measures of psychosocial reserve capacity may be associated with depression and anxiety, according to a study published online March 6 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Support for Health Law Up to 48 Percent in February
TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Support for the health law is increasing, with most Americans feeling that Medicaid should continue as it is today, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News.
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Risk of Heart Failure Up for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have increased risk of heart failure, according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Higher Spending by Physicians Not Tied to Better Outcomes
MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare patients treated by higher-spending physicians are just as likely to be readmitted or die within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital as patients treated by doctors who order fewer or less-expensive tests and treatments, according to a study published online March 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Musculoskeletal Symptoms Predict Psoriatic Arthritis
MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with psoriasis, nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms, including joint pain, fatigue, and stiffness, predict the development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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ACA's Medicaid Expansion May Pose Challenges to Timely Care
THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People living in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are less likely to be uninsured or struggling with the strain of unpaid medical bills, but they also seem to have increased difficulty receiving timely care, according to research published in the March 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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CDC: Arthritis Limits the Activities of 24 Million U.S. Adults
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- One in four adults in America report an arthritis diagnosis, with the number of individuals disabled by it up 20 percent since 2002, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Alterations in Soluble Mediators Predict Transition to SLE
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For unaffected relatives of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, preclinical alterations in levels of soluble mediators may predict transition to disease, according to a study published in the March issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
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Anakinra Ineffective for Reducing Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The anti-inflammatory biologic drug anakinra (Kineret) does not reduce fatigue severity in women with chronic fatigue syndrome, according to a study published online March 7 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Republicans Introduce Affordable Care Act Replacement
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An initial Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act was formally introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
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Most Health Care Providers Can Offer Cost Estimate
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most provider organizations can offer a cost estimate, although few patients request one, according to a report published by Becker's Hospital CFO.
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Judgement Bias in Medical Device Recall Decisions
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The characteristics of the signal in user feedback of adverse events associated with medical devices and the situated context of decision makers correlate with judgement bias in reacting to these adverse events, according to research published online Jan. 29 in Production and Operations Management.
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Specific Autoimmune Diseases Tied to Subsequent Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with autoimmune diseases appear to have an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published online March 1 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
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Overall, 8.8 Percent of U.S. Population Uninsured in 2016
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Overall, 8.8 percent of individuals of all ages were uninsured in the first nine months of 2016, which marked a nonsignificant reduction from 2015, according to a Feb. 14 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
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