The business of rheumatology programming at ACR Convergence 2024 will focus on work-life balance, as well as career trajectories, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for documentation, and other timely considerations for business operations.
“We like to highlight business aspects of rheumatology, as these are not frequently a focus of fellowship training,” said Roneka Ravenell, MD, Chair of the Business of Rheumatology Team for the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) and a practicing rheumatologist at Lake Cumberland Rheumatology. “It’s usually a steep learning curve. However, the area is very broad and can encompass topics like practice models, employment contracts and salary models, insurance contract negotiations and understanding the importance of ancillary services. Our goal is to discuss current topics of interest.”
These sessions are not just for business owners and rheumatology professionals in private practice. The majority of these sessions are applicable to most clinical rheumatology providers and those in practice management.
Work-life balance is a prominent topic this year because of its potential to shape careers.
“The ACR has been at the forefront of recognizing the workforce shortage in our field. While the reason for this is multifactorial — the number of clinicians entering the field is a concern — but the number of clinicians leaving clinical practice for reasons other than retirement is an important one,” Dr. Ravenell said. “We want to have a conversation about ways and reasons why people leave clinical medicine, opportunities outside of clinical medicine and rheumatology.”
On Sunday, Nov. 17, The Pivot: Career Transitions in Rheumatology, 1–2:30 p.m. in Room 206, will feature a career coach and the personal stories of multiple panelists who have gone through a career change, which could be transitioning from academia to private practice, or from clinical practice to a job in the pharmaceutical industry, another industry, or the government. This has been designed as an interactive session.
“Happiness and longevity within one’s career are often attributed to a supportive employment environment and good work-life balance,” Dr. Ravenell said. “Whether it is a change after your first position following fellowship or as a seasoned rheumatologist, it is important to know that although it may be a major change, there is a path for you and that path has been navigated by others before you. Career coaches often help to facilitate as we prioritize the factors that have led to a potential desire to make a career transition. The Pivot allows for this discussion in an interactive forum.”
AI: The Next Breakthrough in Documentation for Rheumatology, 10:30–11:30 a.m. on Sunday in Room 146C, will address a practical application of artificial intelligence in the clinic that can also benefit work-life balance.
“Charting and completing notes can be a very time-consuming part of our job, and spending so much time on documentation can lead to physician burnout,” Dr. Ravenell said. “Ambient listening allows physicians to decrease the time needed to complete visit notes and allows physicians to interact more with patients without having to spend as much time on their computer during the encounter. Some electronic medical record (EHR) systems have incorporated these programs, others can be used independent of the EHR.”
The Sunday session Successful Onboarding and Integration of Advanced Practice Providers into Your Clinic, 3–4 p.m. in Room 146C, applies to any practice setting. The session will feature a discussion about the incorporation of advanced practice providers as it impacts patient access to care, workforce shortage, practice growth and particularly the processes and resources for onboarding.
“While the clinical and basic science data that is provided at the meeting is outstanding and second to none, the ACR has not forgotten the daily practice and the challenges that come with dealing with the business side of rheumatology,” Dr. Ravenell said.
Additional business of rheumatology sessions
Saturday, Nov 16
- Facing Payer Challenges: Biosimilars, Closed Formularies, and Telehealth, 9–10 a.m. ET, Room 204ABC
- RA Toolkit: A Turnkey Workflow for RA Patients in Your Clinic, 1-2 p.m. ET, Room 146C
- Mining for Gold: Big Data in 2024, 2:15–3:15 p.m. ET, Room 146C
- Building a Clinical Research Program from Private Practice to Academia, 3:30–4:30 p.m. ET, Room 146C
Sunday, Nov. 17
- Campaigning for Rheumatology: An Election Year Legislative and Policy Update, 9–10:30 a.m. ET, Room 152A
Monday, Nov. 18
- Pharmaceutical Industry – Friend or Foe, 9–10 a.m. ET, Room 144ABC
- A Winning Bet? What to Know About the Rheumatology MIPS Value Pathway (MVP), 10:30–11:30 a.m. ET, Room 152B
Registered ACR Convergence 2024 Participants:
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Select ACR Convergence 2024 scientific sessions are available to registered participants for on-demand viewing through October 10, 2025. Log in to the meeting website to continue your ACR Convergence experience.