Top in rheumatology: Payment inequity, knee replacement trends
CMS data revealed that 78% of payments to rheumatologists from the pharmaceutical industry in 2014 to 2019 went to just 6% of recipients. On average, men received more than twice as much as women.
The analysis was the top story in rheumatology last week.
In another top story, data showed that higher rates of visits for knee complaints were associated with an increased risk for knee replacement, while the use of physical therapy, specialist care and intra-articular injections were associated with a lower risk among Medicare beneficiaries.
Read these and more top stories in rheumatology below:
Bulk of $220 million industry payments to rheumatologists concentrated among top 6%
Pharmaceutical industry payments to U.S. rheumatologists topped $220 million from 2014 through 2019, with 78% of that total going to just 6% of recipients, according to an analysis of CMS data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Read more.
Few older patients with knee OA receive conservative care prior to knee replacement
Just 23% of Medicare beneficiaries with osteoarthritis who eventually underwent knee replacement ever had a physical therapy visit, according to data published in Arthritis & Rheumatology. Read more.
COVID-19 vaccine response varies widely among immunocompromised patients
Approximately 84% of patients with autoimmune diseases develop antibodies from the COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 98.1% of healthy health care workers, according to an interim analysis published in MedRxiv. Read more.
Pregnant women with arthritis receiving 'mixed messages' on DMARD safety
Women with inflammatory arthritis may be rejecting or discontinuing medications during pregnancy and lactation, due, in part, to inconsistent information from their providers about the safety of arthritis medications, according to findings in ACR Open Rheumatology. Read more.
Most pediatric rheumatology providers find telehealth lacking for clinical assessment
Nearly 66% of pediatric rheumatology providers reported that telehealth visits were inadequate for complete clinical assessments, while 35.8% found their level of burnout had increased due to telehealth, according to survey results. Read more.