Enhancing Care Partnerships Using a Rheumatology Dashboard: Bringing Together What Matters Most to Both Patients and Clinicians.

OBJECTIVE: Dashboards can support person-centered care by helping people partner with their clinicians to coproduce care based on preferences, shared decision-making, and evidence-based treatments. We engaged caregivers of children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and clinicians in a pilot study to assess their experiences and the utility and impact of an electronic previsit questionnaire and point-of-care dashboard to support coproduction of rheumatology care. METHODS: We employed a mixed-methods design to assess users' perceptions of a customized electronic health record rheumatology module at four pediatric rheumatology practices and two adult rheumatology practices. We surveyed a convenience sample of caregivers of children with JIA (n = 113), adults with RA (n = 116), and clinicians (n = 12). We conducted semistructured interviews with 13 caregivers and patients and six care teams. Experiences were evaluated using descriptive statistics and thematic analyses. RESULTS: Caregivers of children with JIA and adults with RA reported the dashboards were useful during discussions (88%) and helped them talk about what mattered most (82%), make health care decisions (83%), and create a treatment plan (77%). Clinicians provided similar feedback. Two-thirds (67%) of caregivers and adults and 55% of clinicians would recommend the dashboard to peers. System usability scores (77.1 ± 15.6) were above average. Dashboards helped users make sense of health information, communicate more effectively, and make decisions. Improvements to the dashboards and workflows could enhance patient self-management and clinician efficiency. CONCLUSION: Visual point-of-care dashboards can support caregivers, patients, and clinicians to coproduce rheumatology care. Findings demonstrate a need to spread and scale for broader benefit and impact.

The Seronegative Spondyloarthropathies.

The seronegative spondyloarthropathies are a group of five diseases characterized by inflammatory oligoarticular arthritis, enthesitis, and axial involvement. They have an increased incidence of the HLA-B27 gene. They are commonly associated with extra-articular features including involvement of the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. Early recognition and referral are key to limit disability, and comanagement with primary care and rheumatology offers the best outcomes.

A Case of Idiopathic Retroperitoneal Fibrosis Associated With Sjögren's Syndrome.

After presenting with nonspecific symptoms, a 52-year-old female was found to have a 3.4 × 2.6 cm retroperitoneal mass resulting in hydronephrosis on abdominal computed tomography scan. After extensive workup including surgical debulking, excisional biopsy, and autoimmune panel, she was found to have idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF) with negative staining for immunoglogulin G4 (IgG4). Two years after presentation, the patient developed dyspnea, cough, and xerostomia. Repeat anti-Sjögren Syndrome A and anti-Sjögren Syndrome B titers and labial gland biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of concomitant Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The patient was treated with mycophenolate mofetil with improvement in her symptoms. Most cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis are associated with IgG4-related disease or other autoimmune disease. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of SS associated with IRF. Because symptoms of IRF are nonspecific, there is often a delay in diagnosis resulting in end-organ disease such as ureteral obstruction or hydronephrosis. Although IRF is uncommon, it should be considered in patients presenting with abdominal or flank pain, especially in patients with concomitant autoimmune disorders. Early recognition of disease can prevent end-organ damage and, as more cases are diagnosed, its relationship to SS may be elucidated leading to further advances in treatment and surveillance.

Septic subacromial bursitis caused by Mycobacterium kansasii in an immunocompromised host.

Mycobacterium kansasii is a common cause of pulmonary infection as a result of nontuberculous mycobacteria, but is less commonly described as a cause of an orthopedic infection. We present the first case of M. kansasii subacromial septic bursitis in an immunocompromised host. This case demonstrates the diagnostic and treatment challenges associated with orthopedic infections caused by M. kansasii.

Relapsing polychondritis in the Department of Defense population and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize the clinical features of relapsing polychondritis (RPC) within the Department of Defense beneficiary population and determine the utility of echocardiography, imaging studies, and pulmonary function testing for diagnosis and monitoring disease. METHODS: We performed a retrospective Electronic Medical Record chart review of all patients diagnosed with RPC within the Department of Defense between January 2004 and December 2009. RESULTS: Thirty patients met McAdam's diagnostic criteria and an additional 13 met our criteria for partial RPC. Auricular chondritis (88%), inflammatory eye disease (57%), and arthritis (60%) were the most common clinical manifestations. Pulmonary involvement was seen in 16 (37%) patients. Methotrexate (42%) and corticosteroids (21%) were the most conventional therapies. Thirty (70%) patients had pulmonary function tests with flow volume loop abnormalities observed in 33%. Chest computed tomography was performed in 63%, with abnormalities in 48%. Abnormalities on echocardiography were observed in 12 of 25 (48%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence, demographic data, and organ involvement in our RPC patients were similar to previous studies. The diagnosis of RPC was determined primarily on physical examination and symptom-driven diagnostic testing. There was no notable pattern by rheumatologists for monitoring the progression of tracheobronchial tree or large vessel involvement. Interpreting flow volume loops is recommended with pulmonary function testing to detect early laryngotracheal involvement. Computed tomography of the chest is also recommended to monitor for vascular and tracheobronchial tree involvement.

Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis compared with non-Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis.

OBJECTIVES: Pyomyositis is an acute bacterial infection of skeletal muscle not arising from contiguous infection. It is often hematogenous in origin and typically associated with abscess formation. Our objective was to determine if there were any differences in the clinical presentation of disease between Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and non-Staphylococcus aureus pyomyositis. We also sought to determine if methicillin-resistant SA (MRSA) occurred more frequently during the final years of the study period. METHODS: A retrospective chart review study at three institutions in two cities. RESULTS: Sixty cases of pyomyositis were identified between 1990 and 2010. Twenty-nine patients were infected with SA while 31 had other bacterial etiologies or were culture negative. Those with a traumatic event prior to the onset of infection were more likely to have a SA infection while SA infected patients were younger. Our first documented case of MRSA occurred in 2005, but the frequency of MRSA infection remained static over the following five years. CONCLUSIONS: Pyomyositis is an emerging infection that is underappreciated by many physicians. While MRSA has emerged as the foremost cause of SA infections in a majority of clinical conditions, in this series most patients still had methicillin-sensitive SA as their cause of pyomyositis. In light of the severity of pyomyositis and the potential for bacteremia (either as a source or complication of the infection), empiric SA therapy should be initiated in all patients until the culture results are available.