Editorial

This month’s featured roundtable on the evolving and broadening role of advanced practice providers in rheumatologic care is a timely discussion, and I give a big thanks to Carrie Beach, BSN, RN-BC; Jeffrey Curtis, MD, MS, MPH; Amanda Mixon, PA-C; Kenneth G. Saag, MD; and Christine Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C.

For readers of my column over the past decade, many will recognize that on numerous occasions I have chosen to discuss empathy.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a symposium at the Cleveland Clinic that featured an outstanding review of immune-related adverse events, and I was reminded of how far we have come in the decade since I first became involved in the evolution of this disease class.

In this issue of Healio Rheumatology, we have a provocative roundtable on why there is provocative a rise in both autoimmune laboratory phenomenon, as well as an increase in certain autoimmune diseases over the past century.

I am thrilled to introduce our cover story this month, “‘Exploring the Power of Their Mind’: Data May Offer Clues to Harnessing the Placebo Effect,” to the readers of Healio Rheumatology. I say this for several reasons.

This month’s cover story analyzes a serious problem, namely the underrepresentation of patients from marginalized communities in lupus clinical trials.

Our cover story this month is on the next wave of immune-based therapies for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory conditions — and the prospects are bright.

Those who follow my editorials in Healio Rheumatology will have no problem guessing what I am about to share with you regarding my perspective on artificial intelligence.

First and foremost, I want to remind you that this is an editorial, which by definition offers an “opinion,” so I don’t want to be pilloried for overstating data or brandishing irrational enthusiasm.

First, I want to thank our panel of experts, including Madelaine A. Feldman, MD; Allan Gibofsky, MD, JD; Robert W. Levin, MD; and John R. Tesser, MD; for their enlightened comments on the next phase of the biosimilar experience, which is to me quite alarming.