Activity Overview
The Advanced Rheumatology Course is a 19-activity series for advanced practice providers and other professionals who need a deeper dive into rheumatology. The series covers how to assess and manage patients with rheumatic disease, develop strategies to integrate NP/PAs into rheumatology practice, and improve access to care for patients. The advanced information will help experienced practice providers function well in rheumatology and foster inter-professional collaboration.
In this activity, review the basic framework of the musculoskeletal system and explore the key principles of immune system operation and autoimmunity.
Advanced Rheumatology Course Series
This activity is part of a series. See the other activities in the series below.
Activity 1: Musculoskeletal Structure And Function And Inflammation And Immunity
Activity 2: Framework for Clinical Decision Making in Rheumatology
Activity 10: SystemicInflammatory Conditions: Inflammatory Myopathy
Activity 17: ComprehensiveOverview of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)
Activity 18: ComprehensiveOverview of Pediatric Connective Tissue Diseases (CTD)
Registration is discounted for ACR/ARP members. If you are not a member, consider joining ACR/ARP.
Target Audience
Advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, Rheumatology fellows-in-training, residents, students, primary care providers and researchers may also benefit.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:
Describe the structure and function of bone, skeletal muscle, articular cartilage, and connective tissue
Classify the different types of synovial joints and periarticular tissues
Articulate the structure and clinical relevance of functional and dysfunctional endothelium
Identify the principal cells and functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems
Describe the physiologic processes in inflammation, immunity, and immune dysregulation
Discuss the impact of evolving knowledge of molecular biology on the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases
CE & MOC Information
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.
Credit must be claimed by August 15, 2029, at 11:59 PM ET.
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)™: 1.50
AMA Designation Statement
The American College of Rheumatology designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 1.50 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 in Accredited 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:
Advisor or review panel member
Consultant
Employee
Officer or Board Member
Grant/research support
Speaker/honoraria includes speaker’s bureau, symposia, and expert witness
Independent contractor
Executive role and/or ownership interest
Royalties and/or patent beneficiary
Intellectual property/patents
Stock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension plan
Private investigator
Expert witness
Equity interest
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.
Acknowledgement of Commercial Support
The project was supported by Grant number 1 NU58DP006908-03-00 – Component A; Developing and Disseminating Programs to Build Sustainable Lupus Awareness, Knowledge, Skills and Partnerships. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Educational Activity Policies
See ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.