Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for June 2015. 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.
Three Issues to Consider Before Selecting EHR
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Work flow, features and functionality, and technical infrastructure should all be considered in advance of selecting an electronic heath record (EHR) system, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Patients Want Online Access to Physicians, Health Records
TUESDAY, June 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Internet-savvy Americans would like to add their doctors to their group of Facebook friends or e-mail contacts, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
AMA Discusses Pre-Retirement Evaluation for Aging Doctors
MONDAY, June 29, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues relating to physician retirement and evaluation of aging physicians before retirement are discussed in a Council on Medical Education report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
SCOTUS Upholds Subsidies for Affordable Care Act
FRIDAY, June 26, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld on Thursday the legality of tax subsidies for millions of Americans who signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Moderate-Quality Evidence for Marijuana Rx for Pain, Spasticity
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical marijuana may be useful in treating chronic pain and spasticity, but less effective for other conditions, according to the results of a review published in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Edible Cannabis Products Often Mislabeled
WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most edible cannabis products sampled in three major U.S. cities are mislabeled, often containing more or less active ingredient than indicated on the packaging, according to a report published in the June 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Pregnancy Outcomes Good for Women With Controlled SLE
TUESDAY, June 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — When systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is under control, women who conceive usually have healthy pregnancies and infants, according to research published online June 23 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Medical Identity Theft Incidents Increasing
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical identity theft is on the rise, costly to consumers, and challenging to resolve, according to the fifth annual report published by the Ponemon Institute.
About 8 Percent of SLE Patients Have Pulmonary HTN
MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — About 8 percent of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have pulmonary hypertension (PH), and serum uric acid (UA) has reasonable accuracy for predicting PH, according to a study published in the June issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Caution in Social Media Age: Self-Promotion Can Backfire
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In a series of experiments, researchers found that people who self-promote often offend others. The study was published in the June issue of Psychological Science.
FDA Cracks Down on Online Sale of Illegal Medical Products
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with international partners, moved this week against more than 1,050 websites that sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines and medical devices, the agency said Thursday.
Hundreds Arrested Nationwide for Medicare/Medicaid Fraud
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Hundreds of people have been charged after health care fraud sweeps were made across the United States, the federal government said Thursday.
Health Highlights: June 19, 2015
Osteoarthritis Care Not Lining Up With Recommendations
FRIDAY, June 19, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The quality of osteoarthritis care is inadequate for all treatment domains, according to a meta-analysis published online June 17 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Virtual Credit Card Fees Amount to 3 to 5 Percent of Payments
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Payment with virtual credit cards (VCCs) is associated with considerable fees, although physicians are often unaware of these charges, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
TNF Inhibitors May Not Modify Polyarticular JIA Disease Process
THURSDAY, June 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For children with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), discontinuing medications is challenging, with high relapse rates, especially after discontinuation of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy, according to a study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Ixekizumab Shows Promise in Psoriasis Treatment
WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Ixekizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 17A, may offer a new and efficacious option for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, according to two phase 3 clinical trials reported online June 10 in The Lancet.
Direct Messaging Not Yet Widely Adopted by Physicians
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Direct secure messaging (Direct), which is a standardized protocol for exchanging clinical messages and attachments, has not been widely adopted by physicians, despite its potential for improving care coordination, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Full Text
Early Age of Menopause Linked to Seropositivity in RA
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — In women with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early age at menopause is associated with seropositivity, according to a study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Review Examines Inappropriate Prescribing of IV Fluids
TUESDAY, June 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Inappropriate prescribing of intravenous (IV) fluids most often involves incorrect volumes and types of IV fluids prescribed, according to a review published online June 11 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.
Article Weighs Paying Off Student Loans Versus Investment
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Newly-minted physicians should consider the issues relating to paying off their loans versus investing for retirement, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
Full Text
DMARDs May Be Underused for Low Back Pain
MONDAY, June 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) may be underutilized for treatment of low back pain (LBP), according to a review published online June 1 in Pain Practice.
Some Graduating Seniors Not Matching to Residency Positions
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — More than 250 of this year’s graduating seniors from U.S. medical schools did not match to a residency position, according to the American Medical Association.
Duloxetine Appears Beneficial for Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Duloxetine significantly improves osteoarthritis knee (OAK) pain, according to a meta-analysis published online June 5 in Pain Medicine.
FCGR3B Copy Number Loss Ups SLE, Lupus Nephritis Risk
THURSDAY, June 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fc gamma receptor 3B (FCGR3B) copy number (CN) loss is associated with increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN), according to a meta-analysis published in the May issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Report Offers Guidance on Medical Ethics Education
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — An analysis of the current state of medical ethics education in the United States has been published in the June issue of Academic Medicine. The article, the Romanell Report, also offers guidance to assist medial ethics educators in meeting expectations.
Full Text
Geographic Location Most Important for Residents
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For residents, the most important element in a future practice is geographic location, with lifestyle, adequate call hours and personal time, and a good financial package also cited as being important, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Extra Time During MCAT Linked to Less Success in Med School
WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Medical school applicants with Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores obtained with extra test administration time have lower rates of success in medical schools, according to a study published in the June 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Analysis Targets U.S. Hospitals With Highest Markups
TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The 50 U.S. hospitals with the highest charge-to-cost ratio have markups approximately 10 times the Medicare-allowable costs, and most of these hospitals are for profit, according to a study published in the June issue of Health Affairs.
AMA Offers Guidance for Physician-Hospital Relationships
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — New guidelines can enable successful physician hospital relationships and integrated leadership, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Meta-Analysis: ABCG2 Q141K Polymorphism Tied to Gout Risk
MONDAY, June 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — ABCG2 Q141K (rs2231142) is associated with gout risk, and gender and ethnicity affect the association, according to a meta-analysis published in the May issue of the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Majority of Fibromyalgia Drug Trials Are Industry Sponsored
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Most fibromyalgia drug therapy randomized controlled trials (FM-RCTs) are funded by industry, and many authors have financial conflicts of interest (FCOIs), according to a study published online May 27 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
Arthritis, Other Chronic Disease Takes Toll on Work Force
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with one or more chronic conditions, those with arthritis appear much more likely than those without arthritis to have work disability, according to research published in the June 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Full Text
Obesity Has Negative Impact on Metabolic Quality of Muscle
FRIDAY, June 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Among older men, obesity has a negative effect on the metabolic quality of skeletal muscle, according to a study published online May 26 in Diabetes.
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Formed
THURSDAY, June 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Nine states have enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact law, with the seventh state’s enactment triggering formation of a commission to administer a process for physicians seeking licensure in multiple states, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
CMS: Hospital Charges for Common Procedures Up
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The prices hospitals charge patients for a number of common procedures rose more than 10 percent between 2011 and 2013, more than twice the rate of inflation, according to data released by the federal government Monday.
Most Part D Plans Cover at Least One Biologic DMARD
WEDNESDAY, June 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Although most Medicare Part D plans cover at least one biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), copayments are high, according to a study published in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatology.
RA-Related Issues Impede Smoking Cessation
TUESDAY, June 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Issues related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), such as distraction from pain and frustration of living with RA, may impede smoking cessation in RA patients, according to a study published in the May issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
Copyright © 2015 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
