At this year’s American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Annual Meeting, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) presented several studies related to innovations and leading research in rheumatology:

Screening for Tuberculosis before Initiating TNF Inhibitors: How Well Do We Do? A Nationwide Experience

• HSS chief value medical officer Catherine H. MacLean, MD, PhD, published a study that reviewed how often patients received an appropriate tuberculosis screening prior to initiating TNF inhibitor therapy. Read the full press release.

Patterns of Medication Use in a Validated Cohort of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) Patients

• HSS rheumatologist Sergio Schwartzman, MD, investigated the use of methotrexate in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Read the full press release.

Is Frailty Associated with Worse Outcomes after Total Joint Replacements?

• HSS researchers found that frailty does not appear to be independently associated with worse outcomes one year after joint replacement. Read the full press release.

SLE Flares during and after Pregnancy Are Mild and Occur at Similar Rates

• Investigators from HSS analyzed data from an observational study of lupus flares in pregnant women. Read the full press release.

Study Shows Volunteering Benefits Those with Lupus

• The Department of Social Work Programs found that volunteers for LupusLine®, a free telephone counseling service, benefit from the feeling of mutual support and personal development. Read the full press release.