Activities

Activity Overview

The Business of Rheumatology Course takes place during ACR Convergence, the ACR’s annual meeting. The 2024 course outlines the infrastructure and compliance considerations necessary to establish a successful clinical research program, and address the integration of APPs through effective onboarding and support strategies. Experts discuss navigating payer policy guidelines to ensure patient access and appropriate reimbursement, as well as best practices for optimizing revenue management in an era of shrinking margins. Additionally, the activity highlights the growing importance of data stewardship and the role of telehealth in expanding access to care, offering practical insights to help rheumatology practices thrive in a complex healthcare environment.

The activity includes the following recorded sessions:

• Building a Clinical Research Program from Private Practice to Academia

• Facing Payer Challenges: Biosimilars, Closed Formularies, and Telehealth

• Mining for Gold: Big Data in 2024

• RA Toolkit: A Turnkey Workflow for RA Patients in Your Clinic

• Successful Onboarding and Integration of Advanced Practice Providers into Your Clinic

Registration is discounted for ACR/ARP members. If you are not a member, consider joining ACR/ARP.

Target Audience

Rheumatologists, physicians, advanced practice nurses, division directors, fellows in training, laboratory technicians, medical assistants, nurses, office managers/staff, practice administrators, physician assistants, and healthcare providers who care for patients with rheumatic diseases; professionals interested or engaged in rheumatology research.

Learning Objectives

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

• Identify key steps in transitioning from clinical practice to an active research program

• Discuss the infrastructure and resources needed to conduct clinical research in private practice

• Recognize funding opportunities and regulatory requirements for initiating research

• Establish collaborative partnerships with academic institutions to enhance research capabilities

• Implement strategies to engage patients and staff in clinical research efforts

• Assess the impact of closed formularies and non-medical switching on patient outcomes and develop strategies to navigate these barriers

• Incorporate biosimilars into clinical practice by understanding payer requirements, formulary policies, and cost considerations

• Optimize telehealth services in rheumatology by aligning practice workflows with current payer policies and reimbursement guidelines

• Describe the role of big data in rheumatology and its impact on patient care, research, and health policy.

• Analyze real-world data sources, including registries, claims databases, and analytics to improve clinical decision-making

• Apply best practices for integrating big data insights into individualized patient treatment strategies

• Implement evidence-based strategies to streamline RA patient management and reduce delays in treatment initiation

• Utilize standardized disease activity measures to guide treatment decisions and improve long-term outcomes.

• Describe the essential components of an optimized RA workflow, including intake, assessment, treatment, and follow-up

CE & MOC Information

• Credit must be claimed by July 30, 2028, 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 registered. 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 participating healthcare professionals should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity. 

Available Credit

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™: 5.00

Accreditation Statement

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 Designation Statement

The ACR designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 5.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Financial Relationship Disclosures

ACR Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to ensure that Continuing Medical Education (CME) 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 CME 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. Business or Rheumatology Course 2024 Financial Relationship Disclosures

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

No commercial support was provided for this activity.

Educational Activity Policies

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