Activities

The Virtual Lupus Clinic is a four-part series with case-based learning to help non-rheumatologists recognize, refer, and manage patients with lupus in conjunction with a rheumatologist. You will virtually examine four patients, each presenting with different symptoms, decide which labs to order, build the differential diagnosis, and decide next steps for treating the patient, including appropriate referrals, if needed.

This activity includes all cases:

• Case 1: A 40-year-old Asian female with facial rash, hair loss, fatigue, myalgias and a history of finger color changes in cold weather.

• Case 2: A 27-year-old Hispanic male with a history of thrombocytopenia and recurrent pleurisy coming in with malar rash, pleural friction rub concerning for pleurisy, and hand synovitis.

• Case 3: A 34-year-old Caucasian female with new onset HTN, pitting edema, weight gain, scarring alopecia, scarring rash on the nose, arthritis, and fatigue.

• Case 4: A 49-year-old African American female who presents with oral and nasal ulcers, arthritis, and fatigue.

Virtual Lupus Clinic Series

See all activities in the series below.

• Virtual Lupus Clinic: Case 1

• Virtual Lupus Clinic: Case 2

• Virtual Lupus Clinic: Case 3

• Virtual Lupus Clinic: Case 4

Target Audience

Non-rheumatologist physicians, primary care providers, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses.

Learning Objectives

Case 1

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify classic and atypical presentations of lupus, focusing on patient history, signs, symptoms, and physical examination findings

• Identify and interpret lab studies typically utilized in a new patient workup sent when evaluating a new patient with lupus

• Effectively communicate results of initial evaluation to patients, including strategies to ensure effective handoff to a specialist, if appropriate

• Identify other common disease processes that may mimic lupus

Case 2

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify classic and atypical presentations of lupus, focusing on patient history, signs, symptoms, and physical examination findings

• Identify and interpret lab studies typically utilized in a new patient workup sent when evaluating a new patient with lupus

• Provide self-management and health maintenance education to patients

Case 3

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify classic and atypical presentations of lupus, focusing on patient history, signs, symptoms, and physical examination findings

• Identify and interpret lab studies typically utilized in a new patient workup sent when evaluating a new patient with lupus

• Effectively communicate results of initial evaluation to patients, including strategies to ensure effective handoff to a specialist, if appropriate

• Recall when to properly refer a patient to rheumatology in a timely manner

Case 4

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Identify classic and atypical presentations of lupus, focusing on patient history, signs, symptoms, and physical examination findings

• Identify and interpret lab studies typically utilized in a new patient workup sent when evaluating a new patient with lupus

• Recognize signs and symptoms that may indicate a lupus flare

• Use high-yield lupus-specific questions and physical examination findings to help identify if a patient is in an active lupus flare and how to initiate appropriate flare treatment while awaiting a rheumatology referral

• Provide counseling and anticipatory guidance for patients in whom lupus is suspected and an initial referral to rheumatology is made

CE & MOC Information

• Credit must be claimed by February 1, 2027, at 11:59 PM ET.  

• By completing this activity, you provide the ACR permission to share completion data with the ACCME and the certifying board. 

• After submitting a reflective statement with key takeaways from the activity, MOC points will be applied for ABIM diplomates to the ABIM diplomate number and date of birth provided when you claimed credit. Points are sent nightly to ACCME and then transferred to the ABIM Physician Portal. Please allow at least 48 hours for points to display in the portal.

• All other credit types must be self-reported by the learner to the respective board. Your certificate is your record of credit.

• All participating healthcare professionals should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity. 

Available Credit

• CME: 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™

• ABIM MOC: 4.00 Medical Knowledge Points

Designation Statements

Joint Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, the American College of Rheumatology is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Provider Number: 0003797

See the ACR's CE Mission Statement. For more information, download the AMA PRA Booklet. 

AMA

The ACR designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 4.00 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Financial Relationship Disclosures

ACR Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to ensure that Continuing Education (CE) activities are independent and free of commercial bias. To ensure educational content is objective, balanced, and guarantee content presented is in the best interest of its learners and the public, the ACR requires that everyone in a position to control educational content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Examples can be found at accme.org.

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence inAccredited Continuing Education, ACR has implemented mechanisms prior to the planning and implementation of this CME activity to identify and mitigate all relevant financial relationships for all individuals in a position to control the content of this CE activity.

Nature of Financial Relationships

All individuals that participate in an ACR-sponsored activity and are able to change content or influence the content of the activity must disclose to the planning committee and audience all financial or other relationships with ineligible companies including, but not limited to:

1. Advisor or review panel member

2. Consultant

3. Employee

4. Officer or Board Member

5. Grant/research support

6. Speaker/honoraria includes speaker’s bureau, symposia, and expert witness

7. Independent contractor

8. Executive role and/or ownership interest

9. Royalties and/or patent beneficiary

10. Intellectual property/patents

11. Stock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension plan

12. Private investigator

13. Expert witness

14. Equity interest

15. Other: specify details 

None: Has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

All participants that created and/or were able to influence the content and delivery of this activity reported the following disclosures. All of the relevant financial relationships listed have been mitigated.

• Petros Efthimiou, MD (Planner) – Springer7, Uptodate7, Pfizer5, Amgen5, Sanofi5, Kiniksa5

• M. Brad Nelson, MD, MPH (Planner) – None

• B. Anne Eberhard, MBBS (Planner) – None

• Parastoo Fazeli, MD (Planner) – None

• Schartess Culpepper Pace, MD (Planner) – None

• Nina Ramessar, MD (Planner) – GlaxoSmithKline8

• Kimberly DeQuattro, MD (Reviewer) – Kyverna Pharmaceuticals5, GlaxoSmithKline5

• Shivani Garg, MD (Reviewer) – None

• Katie Chiseri, MPH,MCHES, PMP- Reviewer - None

Acknowledgement of Financial Support

This activity is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award of $7 million with 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The activity content was provided by the author(s)and does not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, the CDC/HHS or U.S. Government.

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Educational Activity Policies

See ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.