Feedback received from the 2008 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting evaluation, list serve communications, and the 2007 ACR membership survey results identified the need for physicians, health professionals, and their office administrative staff to acquire timely information on strategies to improve the quality, efficiency and profitability of rheumatology practices. Clinically, these providers need to understand advances in the treatment of rheumatic diseases including, the different biologic agents and their administration, outcome measurements, treatment protocols, handling emergency situations, and considerations in conducting clinical trials. Administratively, rheumatology providers and office staff need to understand annual Medicare updates, regulatory changes affecting ancillary services, the impact of Stark regulations, professional licensure and certification requirements, contracting with third party payers, and effective purchasing and marketing strategies. Best practice topics will be offered in this activity through lectures and a clinical and business track, which will be offered concurrently.

Upon completion, participants will be able to:

Testimonials from April 17, 2009 State-of-the Art Clinical Symposium, Chicago, IL:

“I liked the lectures prior to the hands on skills session. It helped me from going into the breakout sessions blindly, which I enjoyed. The patient volunteers were an added plus. I learned quite a bit. But more beneficial to me were the joint injection sessions. This is something that I brought back with me and am anxious to put it to practice. I enjoyed the course; learned a lot, and highly recommend it.” Manuel Chavez, RN, FNP of El Paso, TX

“What I liked the most is the hands on portion. To me joint injections are the hardest part, since everyone’s anatomy is so different.” Sharin Berger, PA of Longmont, CO

“It really helped advance my joint injection and physical examination skills. I have already used what I learned from the session into my practice. I especially liked the joint models and the syllabus for the course. Anyone would surely benefit from this course for years to come!” Kokila Thirumurthi, DO, Fort Worth, TX

From the United States Rheumatology Workforce: Supply and Demand 2005-2025 Report, it states there is currently a critical shortage of rheumatologists in the United States, which is only expected to worsen as the U.S. population ages and the number of persons with a rheumatic disease increases. Establishing a collaborative rheumatology practice between a rheumatologist and a nurse practitioner (NP) or physician assistant (PA) has been identified as one solution to the critical shortage of rheumatologists, while maintaining accessible, high quality care for rheumatology patients. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants receive little rheumatology training in their NP and PA educational programs. Therefore, there is a need to provide readily available and timely training that is accessible on the date of hire, and standardized training in the diagnosis and management of rheumatic diseases for NPs and PAs entering into collaborative practices with rheumatologists. This course provides instruction in joint exams and joint injection, as they are primary in diagnosing and treating rheumatology patients. This course provides both didactic and hands-on skills learning.

Upon completion, participants will be able to: