Artificial intelligence has the potential to play a transformative role in healthcare. During the Opening Session & Awards on Saturday afternoon, keynote speaker Avi Goldfarb, PhD, will delve into the dynamics of machine-driven prognostication in medicine.

Panelists including Ru-Rong Ji, PhD, will discuss how a cross-disciplinary understanding of the chronic pain associated with musculoskeletal diseases is emerging in joint disorders as research suggests rheumatic pain and joint inflammation are, at least to some extent, uncoupled consequences.

Experts will address best practices to design ultrasound studies for inflammatory arthritis, how ultrasound has transformed management of rheumatoid arthritis beyond “treat to target,” and how ultrasound can facilitate diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis, said session co-moderator Erin Chew, MD.

Ashira Blazer, MD, MS, has examined genetic risk factors for descendants of African ancestry to understand how the inflammation of lupus drives the expression of APOL1, therefore increasing the penetrance of this genetic risk factor. She also has studied the environmental context of APOL1.

In-office dispensing and medically integrated dispensing models are two options to help overcome some of the hurdles to rheumatology patients obtaining the medications they need. Colin Sheffield, PharmD, and other panelists will explain the dynamics of each model and share strategies for success.

As the ACR looks to develop its own medical education community of practice (CoP), representatives of other organizations, including Sam Brondfield, MD, MA, of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, will share their experiences doing the same, providing guidance to rheumatology clinician educators on developing a vision and goals for such a CoP.