Lupus

Dermatological hospital readmission rates have remained constant, leading researchers to suggest improvements in both outpatient management of skin diseases and inpatient care.

Among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis, the presence of hypertension or preeclampsia accounts for approximately 10% to 33% of the excess risk for preterm birth, caesarean delivery and small for gestational age, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — A variant of the apolipoprotein L gene could help explain why patients of African ancestry with lupus typically experience worse disease-related outcomes compared with white patients, according to Ashira Blazer, MD, a rheumatologist and assistant professor at the NYU School of Medicine.

HILTON HEAD, S.C. — A program developed at Duke University called Healthy Outcomes in Pregnancy with SLE Through Education of Providers, or HOP-STEP, can educate providers and help rheumatologists across the country better care for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who are, or are seeking to become, pregnant, according to Megan E.B. Clowse, MD, MPH.

ORLANDO — There are less then 350 pediatric rheumatologists currently practicing in the United States, representing a substantial barrier to care for the 300,000 children with arthritis, 30,000 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 3,000 with juvenile dermatomyositis across the country, according to Cathy Patty-Resk, MSN, RN-BC, CPNP-BC, president-elect of the Rheumatology Nurses Society.

In the current issue, we are fortunate to have an esteemed group of experts exchange views over nosology in a diverse group of rheumatic diseases. How precise should the diagnosis be? Does it have dramatic therapeutic implications? What about coding and reimbursement? All good questions without easy answers.

ORLANDO — Patients with lupus are not being provided with enough information at physician’s appointments or at diagnosis, leaving them to seek help from health educators, according to a poster presented at the 2019 Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

ORLANDO — Patients with rheumatologic diseases who are educated about the disease process and the pharmacodynamics of their treatments are more likely to continue to adhere to their therapies, according to a presentation at the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference.

The Patient-Report Outcomes Measurement Information Systems global health short form is responsive to patient-reported – but not physician-reported – changes in lupus, according to findings published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Disease heterogeneity and the lack of a clear disease definition are among the top barriers to advancing lupus care, according to survey data published in Lupus Science & Medicine.