[Rheumatological care in Germany : Memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology 2024]. / Rheumatologische Versorgung in Deutschland : Memorandum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie 2024.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatology in Germany is facing major challenges. The need for rheumatological care is increasing and can no longer be met in some regions for capacity reasons. Too many people with an inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) have to forego appropriate care or receive it too late. The 4th new edition of the memorandum of the German Society for Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology (DGRh) provides information on rheumatological care in Germany. It was produced under the leadership of the DGRh together with the Professional Association of German Rheumatologists (BDRh), the Association of Acute Rheumatology Clinics (VRA), the German Rheumatism League (DRL) and the German Rheumatism Research Center (DRFZ). METHODS: The memorandum describes the current state and development of the following areas: number of people with IRD, outpatient, inpatient and rehabilitative care structures, number of specialists in rheumatology, education and training, quality of care, health economic aspects and digital care concepts. Proposals for health policy measures to safeguard rheumatological care are presented. RESULTS: Prevalence: approximately 1.8 million adults in Germany have an IRD. The prevalence is increasing, due to changes in the demographic structure of the population, improved diagnostics, treatment and longer survival. Care structures: outpatient specialist care (ASV) for rheumatic diseases is developing as a cross-sectoral care model for hospital outpatient clinics and rheumatology practices. Hospitals have been able to be certified as rheumatology centers since 2020, which enables structural developments. Specialists in rheumatology: as of 31 December 2023, there were 1164 specialists in rheumatology working in Germany. This included 715 physicians accredited to work in practices for national health assurance patients, 39% of whom were employees. In hospitals, 39% of doctors worked part-time. At least 2 rheumatology specialists per 100,000 adults are needed, i.e. around 1400, in order to provide adequate care. This means that there is a shortage of around 700 rheumatology specialists in the outpatient sector alone. Of all working specialists, 30% are currently aged 60 years old and over. Medical training: only 10 out of 38 (26%) state universities have an independent chair in rheumatology. In addition, 11 rheumatology departments are subordinate to a nonrheumatology chair. In the rheumatology-integration into student training (RISA) III study, only 16 out of 36 faculties fulfilled the recommended minimum number of compulsory hours of student rheumatology teaching. Continuing education in rheumatology: the annual postgraduate training qualifications do not cover the demand for rheumatology specialists, which is additionally increasing due to intensified workload, reduced capacities through retirement, and part-time work. Quality of care: since the introduction of highly effective medication patients with IRD have a much better chance of achieving remission of their disease. With early initiation of targeted therapy, the lives of many patients are hardly restricted at all: however, waiting times for a first rheumatological visit often last more than 3 months. Quality target is a first consultation within the first 6 weeks after the onset of symptoms. Models for early consultation, delegation of medical services, structured patient training and digital care concepts have been positively evaluated but are not covered financially. COSTS: the total annual costs for inflammatory joint diseases alone amount to around 3 billion euros. The direct costs have significantly risen since the introduction of biologics, while the indirect costs for sick leave, disability and hospitalization have fallen. CONCLUSION: The core demands of this memorandum are a significant and sustainable increase in the number of further training positions in the outpatient and inpatient sector, the creation of chairs or at least independent departments for rheumatology at all universities and the further implementation of new and cross-sectoral forms of care. This will ensure modern needs-based rheumatological care for all patients in the future.

Longitudinal program evaluation of an inter-institutional mentorship network for pediatric rheumatology using a quality improvement framework.

BACKGROUND: The American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Mentoring Interest Group (AMIGO) is an inter-institutional mentorship program launched to target mentorship gaps within pediatric rheumatology. Initial program evaluation indicated increased mentorship access. Given the small size of the pediatric rheumatology workforce, maintaining a consistent supply of mentors was a potential threat to the longevity of the network. Our aims were to: (i) describe the sustainability of AMIGO over the period 2011-2018, (ii) highlight ongoing benefits to participants, and (iii) describe challenges in the maintenance of a mentorship network. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach centered on a quality improvement framework was used to report on process and outcomes measures associated with AMIGO annual cycles. RESULTS: US and Canada Pediatric rheumatology workforce surveys identified 504 possible participants during the time period. As of fall 2018, 331 unique individuals had participated in AMIGO as a mentee, mentor or both for a program response rate of 66% (331/504). Survey of mentees indicated high satisfaction with impact on general career development, research/scholarship and work-life balance. Mentors indicated increased sense of connection to the community and satisfaction with helping mentees despite limited perceived benefit to their academic portfolios. Based on AMIGO's success, a counterpart program for adult rheumatology, Creating Adult Rheumatology Mentorship in Academia (CARMA), was launched in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the challenges of a limited workforce, AMIGO continues to provide consistent access to mentorship opportunities for the pediatric rheumatology community. This experience can inform approaches to mentorship gaps in other academic subspecialties.

Pediatric rheumatology education: the virtual frontier a review.

BACKGROUND: Many children with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases are unrecognized. Identifying these children requires health care provider awareness, knowledge, and skills to recognize disease features and how (and when) to refer to specialist care. The aim of this paper is to highlight the need for better access to health care, review the essential role that education and virtual care play to address unmet need in low resource areas and especially to expand workforce capacity. Using collaborative partnerships, virtual platforms, and innovative assessment methods, musculoskeletal care and education can be delivered to reach a greater audience than ever before. Increased awareness through multiple initiatives and readily available resources are imperative to improve global rheumatology care. CONCLUSION: The needs of children with rheumatic diseases and musculoskeletal conditions are vastly underserved around the world resulting in preventable morbidity and mortality. Expanded implementation of virtual education and e-health care platforms provides an opportunity to increase access to care for children globally.

Needs Assessment of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Training in North American Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Programs.

OBJECTIVE: Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) is widely used in adult rheumatology practice for diagnosis of arthritis and procedural guidance; however, it is not yet common practice in pediatric rheumatology. MSUS is advantageous to the pediatric population because it lacks radiation and eliminates need for sedation. This study aims to assess interest in, access to, and barriers to MSUS training in pediatric rheumatology fellowship programs in North America. METHODS: A survey was developed by pediatric rheumatology providers with experience in medical and/or MSUS education and distributed via REDCap anonymously in March 2022 (Supplementary Material). Eligible participants included current and recently graduated (<1 year) pediatric rheumatology fellows at a North American program. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses using design-based Pearson chi-squared tests were performed. RESULTS: Overall response rate was 78% (88/113), and 75% reported some form of MSUS training during fellowship. Only 36% indicated their program had a formal MSUS curriculum. Of those with MSUS training, 23% reported adult-only MSUS education. Eighty-four percent felt MSUS would be beneficial to their career. Major barriers to MSUS training included lack of MSUS-trained faculty, lack of time, and lack of hands-on MSUS sessions. Those who had access to MSUS training were significantly more interested in MSUS than those without (P = 0.0036). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that North American pediatric rheumatology fellows have a strong interest in learning MSUS, but they face significant challenges in accessing MSUS training (lack of MSUS-trained faculty, time, and access to hands-on training). MSUS should be incorporated into fellowship curriculum; however, implementation remains a challenge.

The power of us: breaking barriers and bridging the gap of ultrasound in rheumatology to empower a new generation.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) knowledge, attitudes, and practices among young rheumatologists in Mexico, aiming to identify barriers and facilitators to its clinical use. METHODS: An online survey distributed to a network of young rheumatologists captured demographics, institutional, and personal MSUS information. Multivariable analysis identified factors associated with positive MSUS attitudes. RESULTS: Ninety-six rheumatologists (39.18% national response rate) completed the survey. Of respondents (54.2% females, median age 35.1 years), 81.2% deemed MSUS necessary in clinical rheumatology. The main barriers included limited training access (56.2%) and required training time (54.1%). Lack of scientific evidence was not a major barrier (60.4%). Positive MSUS attitudes were associated with learning from conferences (p = 0.029) and colleagues (p = 0.005), formal (p = 0.043), and in-person training (p = 0.020), MSUS use in practice (p = 0.027), and use by radiologists in their institute (p < 0.001). Interest in learning MSUS (88.5%) was significantly higher in those with positive attitudes (94.4%, p < 0.001). Elastic net analysis identified key drivers, including learning MSUS from conferences, colleagues, and in residency; using MSUS in practice; respondent-performed MSUS; and MSUS use by radiologists. Statistically significant associations were found with using MSUS for synovitis/inflammatory joint disease (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.00-2.05) and MSUS use by radiologists in respondent's institutes (OR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.20-2.90). CONCLUSION: Most young rheumatologists in Mexico recognize the necessity of MSUS in clinical practice. By addressing identified barriers, encouraging rheumatologist-radiologist collaboration, and establishing a regulatory body to certify rheumatologist's MSUS experience, there is an opportunity to empower them with the necessary skills for effective MSUS use, ultimately benefiting patient care.

Revisiting Race, Ethnicity, and Disparities in Rheumatology Educational Materials: An Update Since 2020.

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, one study by Strait and colleagues raised awareness that the clinical images in rheumatology educational materials underrepresent people with skin of color (P-SOC). Since then, publishers of rheumatology educational materials have focused on addressing this shortcoming. This study investigates the change in representation of P-SOC following the review of Strait et al. METHODS: We used the methods of the aforementioned study to collect images from commonly referenced rheumatology educational materials and categorized the skin tones within them as "light" or "dark." We calculated the proportional change in images depicting dark skin tones between 2020 and 2022 from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Image Library, the 10th edition of Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, and New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) as well as between 2020 and 2024 from rheumatology articles within UpToDate. We compared results using one-sided Z-tests. RESULTS: Overall, the proportion of images depicting dark skin tones increased 40.6% (P < 0.0001). The 10th edition of Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology most significantly increased inclusion of P-SOC (90.1%; P = 0.0039), with ACR Image Library, UpToDate, and NEJM also enhancing representation (41.9%, P < 0.0001; 31.0%, P = 0.0083; 28.2%, P = 0.3046, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study assesses the progress of rheumatology educational materials toward equitable representation of P-SOC. It demonstrates that awareness coupled with focused efforts from educational publishers can enhance the proportion of images depicting dark skin tones, thereby enriching the quality of foundational knowledge relayed to rheumatology providers with the goal of improving health experiences and outcomes for P-SOC with rheumatic diseases.

Speciality training in rheumatology: Promotion, repetition and dropout rates in the city of Buenos Aires.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the trajectory of students enrolled in the specialty training in rheumatology. METHODS: Retrospective analysis (2009-2016). Promotion, repetition, and dropout rates were determined. Analysis was performed to define variables associated with academic success. RESULTS: Out of 119 students, the actual promotion rate was 66.4%, 11.8% failed an exam (at least) and completed the course after the stipulated time, and the dropout rate was 7.6%. Among residents, the promotion rate was 82.5% vs. 48.2% among the rest (p < 0.001), the lagging students' repetition rate was 3.2% vs. 21.4% among the rest (p 0.005), and the dropout rate was 3.2% vs. 12.5% among the rest (p = 0.06). A higher average score in medical school increased the chances of success in the postgraduate programme (OR 3.41 CI 95% 2.0-6.4; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The residency was associated with higher rates of academic success in postgraduate studies. The average score in medical school can help identify students at risk of failure.

Survey on the working, training, and research conditions of resident physicians in internistic and rheumatological continuing education-BEWUSST.

BACKGROUND: Data on the training and continuing education situation of residents in the field of internal medicine and rheumatology are not available for Germany. For this reason, the Commission for Education and Training of the German Society of Rheumatology (DGRh) initiated the BEWUSST survey on the working, training and research conditions of residents in rheumatology. METHODS: A total of 102 questions on the topics of working conditions in everyday professional life, continuing medical education and training, compatibility of career and family, compatibility of work and research, perspectives as a rheumatologist and practical activities were included in an online questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 102 participants took part in the survey. Of the respondents 48.1% were satisfied with their professional situation, 40.2% of the participants were supervised by a specialist mentor and 54.9% were working as scientists during their work as a physician. A compatibility of family and career was possible for 34.7%. After completion of the residency 52.9% of the respondents aspired to a combined clinical and outpatient activity. CONCLUSION: Half of the trainee rheumatologists are satisfied with their professional activities, although mentoring of the assistants in training should be further improved. With respect to the desired combined clinical and outpatient activity, the existing options should be expanded or new professional fields of activity should be established, so that the specialty remains attractive for the upcoming generations.

["Rheuma (be-)greifen"- A multimodal teaching concept to improve rheumatology education for medical students]. / "Rheuma (be-)greifen" ­ ein multimodales Lehrkonzept zur Verbesserung der rheumatologischen Lehre für Studierende der Humanmedizin.

BACKGROUND: The German Society for Rheumatology, through its campaign Rheuma2025, aims to improve student teaching in order to ensure patient care for rheumatological patients in the future. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a combination of traditional and innovative educational methods provide both an improvement in the quality of teaching and an increase in the attractiveness of rheumatology as a discipline. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Establishment of the teaching concept "Rheuma (be-)greifen" consisting of five modules on patient history taking with acting patients, musculoskeletal ultrasound, arthrocentesis, 3D printing of pathological joints and virtual reality applications based on real patient cases in the curricular teaching of medical students. RESULTS: The evaluation of the teaching concept with 93 students of medicine showed a consistently high acceptance of all modules, which were rated as very effective or rather effective. Direct patient-related modules, such as history taking with acting patients, musculoskeletal ultrasound and arthrocentesis, received even higher acceptance than the visualization methods utilizing 3D printing and virtual reality. CONCLUSION: Innovative teaching methods can help to improve the acceptance of teaching in the field of rheumatology, especially when combined with classical teaching contents.

Assessing Pediatric Rheumatology Fellow Competence in the Milestone Era: Past, Present, and Future.

Starting in 2015, pediatric rheumatology fellowship training programs were required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to assess fellows' academic performance within 21 subcompetencies falling under six competency domains. Each subcompetency had four or five milestone levels describing developmental progression of knowledge and skill acquisition. Milestones were standardized across all pediatric subspecialties. As part of the Milestones 2.0 revision project, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education convened a workgroup in 2022 to write pediatric rheumatology-specific milestones. Using adult rheumatology's Milestones 2.0 as a starting point, the workgroup revised the patient care and medical knowledge subcompetencies and milestones to reflect requirements and nuances of pediatric rheumatology care. Milestones within four remaining competency domains (professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice) were standardized across all pediatric subspecialties, and therefore not revised. The workgroup created a supplemental guide with explanations of the intent of each subcompetency, 25 in total, and examples for each milestone level. The new milestones are an important step forward for competency-based medical education in pediatric rheumatology. However, challenges remain. Milestone level assignment is meant to be informed by results of multiple assessment methods. The lack of pediatric rheumatology-specific assessment tools typically result in clinical competency committees determining trainee milestone levels without such collated results as the foundation of their assessments. Although further advances in pediatric rheumatology fellowship competency-based medical education are needed, Milestones 2.0 importantly establishes the first pediatric-specific rheumatology Milestones to assess fellow performance during training and help measure readiness for independent practice.

Project Highlights From the GRAPPA 2022 Annual Meeting: Education Initiatives and Axial Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis.

A core mission of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) is to provide education about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis globally. This is a multifaceted endeavor involving in-person and virtual lectures, discussions, podcasts, and archived videos directed toward clinicians and researchers who are involved with psoriatic disease (PsD) care. In partnership with patient service leagues, we also aim to provide education to patients with PsD. At the 2022 annual meeting, an update of the ongoing and expected educational initiatives was presented. A project with a high educational and research value is the Axial Involvement in Psoriatic Arthritis (AXIS) cohort established in collaboration with the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS). Here we summarize the status of the project.

A single center pilot study: assessing resident needs and faculty perceptions to improve training in rheumatology.

BACKGROUND: Internal medicine (IM) residents lack confidence in rheumatology. Due to the wide variety of topics in rheumatology, identifying the most important subjects to learn during training is vital to create future interventions to increase confidence and knowledge. The preferred teaching modality for both attendings/fellows and residents is not known. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to all IM residents, rheumatology fellows, and rheumatology faculty at the University of Chicago during the 2020-2021 academic year. Residents reported self-confidence levels on 10 rheumatology topics, while rheumatology attendings/fellows were asked to rank these from most to least important to learn during IM residency. All groups were asked preferred teaching modality. RESULTS: Median confidence level [interquartile range] among residents for caring for patients with rheumatological conditions was 6 [3.6-7.5] for inpatient and 5 [3.7-6.5] for outpatient settings (10 being very confident). Attendings and fellows identified the most important topics to learn during the rheumatology rotation as ordering and interpreting autoimmune serologies and musculoskeletal exam. Both attendings/fellows and residents preferred bedside teaching in the inpatient setting and case-based learning in the outpatient setting. CONCLUSIONS: While some disease-specific topics such as autoimmune serologies were identified as important rheumatology topics for IM residents to learn, more practical topics like musculoskeletal exam skills were also deemed important. This highlights the need for comprehensive interventions that focus on more than standardized exam topics alone to improve rheumatology confidence in IM residents. There are different preferences of teaching styles in various clinical settings.