The annual conference of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Association for Rheumatology Health Professionals (ARHP) is typically the premier annual venue in the United States for the presentation of current and upcoming research topics in the field of rheumatology. In 2016, more than 3,000 abstracts were accepted for poster presentations for the 2016 ACR/ARHP Annual Conference.

While it is not possible to tell how many potential abstracts were submitted that focused on nursing or nurse-related research, there were a number of important peer-reviewed posters at the most recent conference that shine light on our daily practice. A conference online database search of “nurse” identified 24 abstracts with faculty from 11 countries that included nurse-related outcomes and interventions.

Table 1 includes a brief summary of these abstracts.

• Four abstracts from the United States, Brazil, Israel, and Canada explored the merits of the manufacturer Patient Support Program for adalimumab, which has differing nurse components in various countries.
• Two abstracts demonstrated positive results in tobacco cessation programs as precursors to pilot intervention programs
• Three abstracts from the United States and Canada assessed shared or collaborative care models that included various combinations of primary care physicians, NPs, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, and chaplains.
• Four abstracts from four different studies had positive patient outcomes in a nurse‑led care environment.
• French researchers provided three abstracts from the COMEDRA study, which focuses on nurse-led care of patients with RA.
• Two abstracts – one from Japan and the other from the United States – focused on the impact of professional development opportunities for nurses on patient outcomes.
• A U.S.-based pilot study showed the benefits of nurse educators, specifically with patient self-management programs

A small number of studies also used rheumatology nurses as assessors and/or researchers to gather patient data for analysis. Several of these studies mentioned the need for a rheumatology nurse, certified medical assistant, physician assistant (PA), or “rheumatology extender.” A review of these studies showed consistent statistical advantages utilizing the rheumatology nurse for early triage, performance of specific identification measures, targeted follow-up protocols, closing educational gaps of patients, and providing patient training with self-management techniques.

A small number of studies compared the ability of physicians vs. nurses and/or PAs to identify specific diseases such as spondyloarthropathies and assess the effectiveness of treatment. These studies showed no significant differences between the groups.

Lastly, there was one study from the United Kingdom that reported high levels of patient satisfaction with care that utilized an interdisciplinary team led by a physiotherapist that included nurses.

You can find out more details about any of the studies included here by visiting the ACR website and searching their conference data. Being involved in research as a rheumatology nurse is a terrific way to build your professional resume and show off the great work you do.

AUTHOR PROFILE:
Sheree C. Carter, PhD, RN, RN-BC, is an Assistant Professor at The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and former President of the Rheumatology Nurses Society.

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