In the United States, those of us who work as healthcare providers often struggle with the realities of the “haves” vs. the “have nots.” The […]
Rheumatology Nurse Practice
Making the Hardest Conversations a Bit Easier
Telling a patient that they have rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or any other autoimmune disorder is never easy. By the time most patients arrive in our […]
Blinded vs. Unblinded: The Roles of the Research Nurse
We are fortunate in our office to have the opportunity to take part in research of new biosimilar medications before they come to the market. […]
When Good Isn’t Good Enough | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
I first met AP, a 48-year-old woman, about 8 years ago when I was new at my current rheumatology practice. From the very start of […]
The Magic of the Dead Sea on Resistant Psoriasis | Psoriasis
I first met EJ when he was 28 years old, a full 15 years after he was initially diagnosed with psoriasis and started on topical […]
No Doubt, It’s Gout (and Psoriatic Arthritis)
A few months ago, a new patient, SR, came into our office with a long and varied history of rheumatic disease. A 34-year-old Caucasian male […]
Monitoring PsA Disease Activity in the Clinical Setting | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
The treat-to-target approach to care is a hot topic in medicine and is now widely accepted as a best practice in our patients diagnosed with […]
Fighting the Good Fight with Insurers | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
The majority of patients we see on a day-to-day basis in our rheumatology practices require straightforward decisions and straightforward solutions. But there are always outliers. […]
Like the Kidney, Medical Authorizations Require Us to Adapt | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
A very long time ago in my nursing school days, I learned that each kidney has approximately 1 million nephrons comprised of convoluted tubules. Their […]
My Experience with Specialty Pharmacies | Insurance
When I first learned that my insurance required me to use a specialty pharmacy for my biologic medication, it didn’t sound too bad. My first […]
Understanding Family Issues to Maximize Adherence
The challenges of medication adherence in children are as diverse as the populations we serve. Among other things, adherence in children can be affected by […]
Making the Whole Patient Better | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
I have been caring for KN, a 57-year-old woman with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) for approximately 9 months. When she initially presented to our office, she […]
The Impact of New Medications | Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA)
When I started in rheumatology practice 11 years ago, we had few options at our disposal to treat patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The initial […]
The Day-to-Day Roles of a Research Nurse
Everyone pursues a nursing career for slightly different reasons, but at its core, we’re all striving for one basic goal—to help our patients be healthier […]
Healthy Mom, Healthy Patient
There are few phrases that strike a more dramatic tone than “bariatric surgery.” The general perception is that this is a last-ditch option for individuals […]
Opioids and Obesity: A Complicated Challenge | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
It’s impossible to get through a day without hearing about or seeing an article focused on the current opioid crisis in the United States. The […]
The Picture of Rheumatologic IrAE Presentations: A myCME Pulse Learners’ Survey
Dear Clinician: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the most commonly used type of cancer immunotherapy. Unfortunately, these agents can cause a number of immune-related adverse […]
Bariatric Surgery: Helping Our Patients Take the Ultimate Step in Weight Loss | Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
MDis a 51-year-old woman who first came to our practice approximately 12 years ago with complaints of diffuse joint pain. Her recent history included pain […]