2010 Winter Rheumatology Symposium
January 23 - 29 • Snowmass, Colorado
contact: , 404-633-3777
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This course is designed for rheumatologist, physicians and other healthcare providers caring for patients with rheumatic diseases.

This activity has been designed to provide a forum for physicians and other rheumatology health professionals to receive relevant and timely information regarding the most recent developments in the field of rheumatology.

As the most rapidly growing area in rheumatology treatments is in the area of rheumatoid arthritis, a didactic session and a panel discussion will be offered. The panel, will offer a domestic and international perspective, and provide attendees the option to have their individual questions answered by experts in the field.  In addition, clinical and therapeutic approaches will be discussed on the topics of Sjögren’s syndrome, spondyloarthritis, osteoarthritis, and vasculitis.

As many rheumatologic diseases involve other organ systems and overlap with other specialties, it is important that rheumatologists learn from experts in such fields. Accordingly sessions involving hematology, endocrinology (vitamin D), genetics, obstetrics (pregnancy), infectious disease, and dermatology will be offered.

Based on experience in Europe and the United Kingdom, musculoskeletal ultrasound has been shown to be a valuable tool for the diagnosis and management of a variety of conditions that involve joints and surrounding structures.  However, it is not a widely used practice in the United States by rheumatologists. Therefore, a session designed to assist attendees to evaluate the technology will offered.

The basic science of rheumatology is a rapidly advancing field, and by gaining an understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and abnormal biology that underlies various diseases, rheumatologists will be better able to understand the rational for certain therapies. This year, basic science sessions in the areas of systemic lupus erythematosus, spondyloarthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis as well as cell motility will be held.

The relations between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry are a constant point of discussion. More and more a clear demonstration of separation of the two must be maintained even though each group is dependent on the other for information. During the session titled Money in Medicine:  Sin or Salvation attendees will gain practical instruction on assessing the benefits and risks of provider and industry relationships.

Physicians

The American College of Rheumatology is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to sponsor continuing medical education for physicians.

The American College of Rheumatology designates the Winter Rheumatology Symposium for a maximum of 23 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Health Professionals

As a division of the College, the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals offers a Certificate of Participation.  The Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals designates the Winter Rheumatology Symposium for a maximum of 23 hours of participation.

ACR Disclosure Policy

It is the policy of the American College of Rheumatology to ensure that its CME activities are independent and free of commercial bias. To ensure content objectivity and balance, and guarantee that the content presented is in the best interest of its learners’ and the public, the ACR requires that everyone in a position to control the content must disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest if the relationship is financial and occurred within the past 12 months. If there are relationships that create a conflict of interest, these must be resolved by the Planning Committee chair in consultation with the ACR’s Committee on Education designee(s) prior to the participation of the individual in the development or presentation of CME content.

Any individual who refuses to disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from being a planning committee member, a presenter, or an author of a CME activity, and cannot have control of, or responsibility for, the development, management, presentation or evaluation of the CME activity.

Disclosures related to the Winter Rheumatology Symposium will be published in November 2009.

The Winter Rheumatology Symposium is not a public event. Programs presented at the symposium are for the education of attendees and purchasers of recorded presentations as authorized by the ACR. The information and materials displayed and presented during this symposium are the property of the American College of Rheumatology and the presenter and cannot be photographed, copied, photocopied, transformed to electronic format, reproduced, or distributed without written permission of the American College of Rheumatology and the presenter. Any use of the program content for commercial purposes, which includes, but is not limited to oral presentations, audiovisual materials used by speakers, and program handouts without the written consent of the ACR is prohibited.

This policy applies before, during and after the symposium. The ACR will enforce its intellectual property rights and penalize those who infringe upon it. The names, insignias, logos and acronyms of the ACR, the ARHP and the REF are proprietary marks. Use of the names in any fashion, by any entity, for any purpose, is prohibited without the express written permission of the American College of Rheumatology.