osteoarthritis treatment

Date/Time: August 18, 2026, 7:30 - 9:00 PM ESTThis live interdisciplinary webinar will explore the expanding role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists beyond diabetes and obesity, with a focus on their relevance in rheumatology care. Designed for rheumatologists, endocrinologists, pharmacists, advanced practice providers, and primary care clinicians, the session will examine the intersection of metabolic disease and inflammatory conditions through a case-based, clinically practical lens. Key themes include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, rheumatology, obesity, inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, metabolic disease, interdisciplinary care, pharmacotherapy, access, safety, ethics, and clinical decision-making.Through expert-led presentations and interactive discussion, this activity will highlight emerging evidence and practical applications in rheumatic disease. Presented by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) in collaboration with the Endocrine Society. This non-CME educational webinar brings together experts from rheumatology and endocrinology to explore the current evidence, clinical considerations, and real-world use of GLP-1 therapies across specialties.SpeakersThomas Appleton, MD, PhD, FRCPC, is passionate about rheumatology research, communication, and clinical care. He is Division Head of Rheumatology at St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Western University in London, Canada. As a clinician scientist, his research focuses the of resolution of inflammation in osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis. Dr. Appleton is a past director of the Ontario Rheumatology Association (ORA) and past chair of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) Scientific Committee. He now serves as an advisor to Arthritis Society Canada and chair of the ORA Informatics Committee where he leads the RheumView project, developing digital health and AI health solutions for clinical informatics.Dr. Bharati Bhardwaja, PharmD, BCPS, LSSBB, is a clinical pharmacist, healthcare leader, educator, and researcher with more than 24 years of experience at Kaiser Permanente Colorado, where she serves as the Rheumatology Clinical Pharmacist. She has led the development and expansion of innovative clinical pharmacy services, spearheaded multidisciplinary quality and safety initiatives and played a pivotal role in implementing evidence-based care models in rheumatology. Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Bhardwaja is an active leader and volunteer within the rheumatology community. She serves in multiple leadership roles with ACR and ARP contributes to strategic planning and special projects, and supports education through national presentations, mentoring, and precepting pharmacy residents and students. A published author and recipient of numerous awards recognizing excellence in patient safety, quality improvement, and residency precepting, she is passionate about advancing pharmacy practice through collaboration, innovation, and leadership. Her work is dedicated to improving patient outcomes while empowering healthcare teams to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care.Dimpi Nitin Desai, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Gerontology, and Metabolism at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she also serves as Associate Program Director of the Endocrinology Fellowship Program. She is an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist whose clinical, research, and educational work is dedicated to advancing the care of people living with obesity and its metabolic complications. Dr. Desai specializes in the comprehensive management of obesity and obesity-related diseases, with expertise in complex obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, MASLD, post-bariatric care, and other obesity-associated comorbidities. Her work emphasizes evidence-based, patient-centered, and compassionate long-term obesity care. She holds several national leadership positions within leading endocrine and obesity organizations. She serves on the Endocrine Society Guideline Development Panel for the pharmacologic management of obesity, is Co-Chair of the Endocrine Society Obesity Fellows Program, and is Chair-Elect of the Clinical Practice Section of The Obesity Society. Through these roles, she is actively involved in advancing obesity education, clinical practice, and guideline development. An internationally invited speaker, Dr. Desai has delivered numerous lectures and educational programs on obesity medicine, diabetes, and metabolic health. Her academic interests include improving access to obesity care, medical education, multidisciplinary management of obesity, and translating emerging evidence into practical strategies that improve patient outcomes.Rouhin Sen, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he also serves as an Associate Scientist in both the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education (COERE) and the Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC). Dr. Sen completed his rheumatology fellowship at the University of Colorado after serving as Chief Medical Resident at Creighton University Medical Center. His clinical and research interests focus on spondyloarthritis, with an emphasis on biomarkers, genetic epidemiology, and cardiovascular outcomes. He is the principal investigator on federally and institutionally funded studies investigating cardiovascular risk in spondyloarthritis and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in the field. Dr. Sen is an active member of the ACR and serves on the ACR guideline development panels for psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis. He is also recognized for excellence in teaching and patient care, receiving UAB's Teaching Excellence Award and multiple Top Tier Patient Experience honors.Learning ObjectivesUpon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:Explain the metabolic and systemic mechanisms of GLP-1 receptor agonists relevant to rheumatology patientsEvaluate emerging evidence in osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and comorbid conditionsIdentify appropriate patient candidates and interdisciplinary care considerationsAssess access barriers, safety issues, and ethical implicationsApply case-based frameworks for real-world clinical decision-makingTarget AudienceAdvanced practice nurses, dieticians, endocrinologists, health educators, health services researchers, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, primary care providers, physical therapists, physician assistants, researchers, rheumatologists, and rheumatology interprofessionalsCE/MOC InformationThis activity is not eligible for credit.Acknowledgement of Commercial SupportNo commercial support was provided for this activity.Educational Activity PoliciesSee ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.

Mending Through Movement: A Signs and Symptoms Team Education Program on Treating Osteoarthritis (OA STEP) is a guided activity with case study that will improve your knowledge of the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, and management of early-stage osteoarthritis (OA). The activity provides information on:Epidemiology and statisticsSymptoms and signsDiagnosisRadiologyTreatment and self-managementResourcesRegistration is complimentary.Target AudiencePrimary care providers, including internal medicine and family medicine practitioners, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and nurses.Learning ObjectivesUpon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:Assess the symptoms and signs of joint painSelect the appropriate workup to diagnose osteoarthritis (OA)Choose appropriate non-pharmacologic measures, pharmacologic treatment and pain managementCE & MOC InformationACCME Accreditation StatementThe American College of Rheumatology is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. See the ACR's CME Mission Statement. For more information, download the AMA PRA Booklet. AMA Designation StatementThe American College of Rheumatology designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.CME credit must be claimed by August 31, 2028, at 11:59 PM ET.MOCMOC Recognition Statement: 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 0.50 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. 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.MOC points must be claimed by August 31, 2028, at 11:59 PM ET. Financial Relationship DisclosuresACR Disclosure StatementIt 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 RelationshipsAll 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 memberConsultantEmployeeOfficer or Board MemberGrant/research supportSpeaker/honoraria includes speaker’s bureau, symposia, and expert witnessIndependent contractorExecutive role and/or ownership interestRoyalties and/or patent beneficiaryIntellectual property/patentsStock options or bond holdings in a for-profit corporation or self-directed pension planPrivate investigatorExpert witnessEquity interestOther: 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. Authors/Planners Kristine Lohr, MD, MS - No relevant financial relationships to disclose - PlannerPriyanka Iyer, MD, MPH - No relevant financial relationships to disclose - PlannerSunghye Kim, MD – ARKG-ETF9 - PlannerIvanshi Gondalia, MD - No relevant financial relationships to disclose - Planner  Content ReviewersBrinda Basida, MD - No relevant financial relationships to discloseKevin Hackshaw, MD - No relevant financial relationships to discloseMeredith Ventura, MD - No relevant financial relationships to discloseKatherine Yates, MD - No relevant financial relationships to disclose Acknowledgement of Commercial SupportNo commercial support was provided for this activity.Educational Activity PoliciesSee ACR educational activity policies, including the online enduring activity refund policy.