Study: Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas

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Did you know that 34% of Americans live in areas with a shortage of mental health providers?

One group is looking to study this in a project titled Understanding Pathways to Care For Individuals in Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, with Investigators Dr. Munmun De Choudhury and Dr. Neha Kumar. This project is a joint research initiative between the SocWeb and TanDeM Labs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, along with various partners and stakeholders from community-based mental health advocacy organizations.

What Am I Being Asked To Do?
You are being asked to be a volunteer in a research study. This page will give you key information to help you decide if you would like to participate.  Your participation is voluntary. As you read, please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the research.

What Is This Study About and What Procedures Will You be Asked to Follow?
The purpose of this study is to better understand how people find access to mental healthcare. You will be asked survey questions about yourself, as well as the different resources you use to feel better when you are not feeling well.

If you decide to be in this study, you will be asked survey questions about where you live and how you have sought support for mental health concerns. You will not be compensated for participation in this study

Are There Any Risks or Discomforts you Might Experience by Being in this Study?
Survey questions deal with your mental health background and may touch on topics you do not want to discuss. You are not required to answer any questions and choose to not answer and move to a different question or choose to stop participating in the study at any time.

What Are the Reasons You Might Want to Volunteer For This Study?
You are not likely to benefit in any way from joining this study. However, your participation in this study may assist researchers in understanding how people in resource-limited areas find access to mental healthcare.

Study link

Questions about the Study
If you have any questions about the study, please reach out to Sachin Pendse.

ACR Applauds Bipartisan Letter Urging Congressional Action to Avoid Looming “Medicare Cliff”

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The following is a press release from the ACR that came out today.

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) applauds the 247 Members of Congress who signed a letter urging Congressional leadership to address several cuts that would reduce Medicare reimbursements for health care providers by nearly 10 percent starting Jan. 1, 2022. These cuts would severely impact rheumatology practices already straining to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially jeopardizing patient access to care.

“The ACR thanks Reps. Bera and Bucshon, and all the other members of Congress who are calling on Congressional leadership to address the looming ‘Medicare cliff,’” said David Karp, MD, PhD, president of the ACR. “Extending physician payment adjustments for an additional year will help maintain providers’ operational stability that is still affected by the pandemic and ensure people living with rheumatic diseases do not see their care disrupted.”

Spearheaded by Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN), the letter calls on Congress to addresses the imminent payment cuts stemming from an expiring adjustment to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) as well as the Medicare sequester and the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) Act that cumulatively would cut reimbursements by a total of 9.75 percent next year.

The letter also calls for a future effort to establish broader, long-term reforms to ensure stability within the Medicare payment system as well as adequately incentivize high-quality care. Noting that the Physician Fee Schedule has failed to keep up with inflation over the years, the lawmakers argue that cuts to specialty providers could seriously jeopardize the stability of America’s health care delivery system at a time when so many providers are still only beginning to recover from the disruption caused by COVID-19.

Background on the “Medicare Cliff”

The looming payment cuts, which have been colloquially referred to as the “Medicare Cliff” stem from a confluence of three separate provisions that are all set to be implemented at the same time.

At the end of 2020, Congress attempted to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic on health care providers by including a one-time 3.75 percent payment increases for all PFS services in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. This payment adjustment afforded some short-term stability for health care professionals struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic but is expiring at the end of the calendar year while providers still struggle with COVID’s impact.

At the same time, providers are also facing a 2 percent cut due to the expiring moratorium on the Medicare sequester. The sequester – which automatically cuts Medicare spending across-the-board – has been in place since 2013 but has almost always been suspended by Congress. The current suspension expires at the end of this year.

Finally, providers are facing an additional 4 percent payment cut due to the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget rule, which requires mandatory spending increases to be offset by tax increases or cuts to other areas of mandatory spending. Because the American Rescue Plan that Congress passed earlier this year did not include such an offset, the PAYGO rule will be triggered unless Congress decides to waive it.

View the letter here.

Still’s Disease: Research and Clinical Trials

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The following webinar took place back on August 31st, 2021 in honor of Autoinflammatory Awareness Month and Still’s Disease Awareness Day (Sept 7). Nonprofit supporters included International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis), Systemic JIA Foundation, and the Autoinflammatory Alliance. Financial support was provided by Sobi and Avalo Therapeutics.

Current study opportunities

  • Sobi (MAS): Evaluate Efficacy, Safety and Tolerability, PK and PD, of Emapalumab in Children and Adults With MAS in Still’s or SLE (link)
  • Avalo Therapeutics (IL-18): A Study to Evaluate AEVI-007 in Participants With Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (link)

AiArthritis also shared two PDFs in a recent email –

Learn more about AiArthritis’ Still’s Disease work.

MCAS and Quality of Life Study

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Understanding Factors Associated with the Well-Being and Quality of Life of Adults with Mast Cell Disorder

Link to participate – study ends Oct 30

Why is the survey being conducted?

Mast Cell Disorder is an increasingly widespread group of incurable chronic diseases characterised by a range of unpredictable and spontaneous symptoms, a high treatment burden, and long diagnosis lead-times. The purpose of this survey is to explore the factors associated with the well-being and quality of life of adults with Mast Cell Disorder. Results will also be used to inform the development of a wellbeing intervention for people with Mast Cell Disorder.

What does the survey involve? 

You are asked to do an online survey which will take 30-45 minutes. This will ask questions about you (your gender, age, ethnicity), your condition (type of Mast Cell Disorder, symptoms, current treatment), your support network, your healthcare experiences, and also your feelings, perceptions and views about living with Mast Cell Disorder. You can also save the survey at any point and return later – the survey will automatically give you a return code.

Who can participate in this survey? 

This survey is open to adults (aged 18 years or older) living with Mast Cell Disorder. Participants need to read and write in English.

Your consent

Completion and submission of the survey online implies your formal consent to take part in the research. It also permits your responses, including any written comments, to be used anonymously in research outputs.

Benefits and risks to you

By taking part in the survey, you can share your experiences of Mast Cell Disorder, which will help raise awareness of the effects that the condition might have on the daily lives of others with the condition. This information will be used to inform a new wellbeing intervention for people with Mast Cell Disorder. If you agree, you will have an opportunity to go into a draw to win one of 10 AUD$50 Amazon gift cards (or equivalent based on your location) as a thank you for participating in this survey. You will also have an opportunity to be invited to participate in future related research, including a wellbeing intervention.

You will be asked to give up some of your time to participate in the survey, which may be up to 45 minutes. Anticipated risks are negligible. As you will be completing the questionnaire from your own home, you will be in your own safe environment. It may be that some of the questions prompt you to think or feel more about your wellbeing. If you like to seek support for this, you can connect with your health professional and/or contact support organisations like the following in your home country (see study landing page).

How will we use any personal information?

We will summarise information across respondents so that we can describe the range of people who responded to the survey and explore commonalities.

If you choose to go into the prize draw, we will request your contact details (e-mail address) to enable us to notify the winners after the draw of the participation prizes. We will delete this information after the draw.

If you express interest in being contacted about future research or the wellbeing intervention, we will also request your contact details (e-mail address).

In both these instances, your email address will be stored separately from your survey responses, so that you cannot be linked in any way to your survey responses and cannot be identified by third parties.

No email addresses will be reported in any research publications or outputs arising from the study.

How will this personal information be stored?

All data will be entered into an electronic database that will be kept in a secure Griffith University research data drive. All data will be retained for five-years from the end of the project or, if later, the date of the last publication. It will then be deleted.

Privacy statement 

Information collected from this study is confidential and anonymous. Information will not include your name. Any personal information collected is confidential and will not be disclosed to third parties without your consent, except to meet government, legal or other regulatory authority requirements. An anonymised copy of this data may be used for other research purposes. For further information consult the University’s Privacy Plan at http://www.griffith.edu.au/aboutgriffith/plans-publications/griffith-university-privacy-plan or telephone 07 3735 4375.

Your participation is voluntary

Completion of this survey is entirely voluntary. You are free to stop or withdraw from the survey at any time, without penalty. Whether or not you choose to participate in this study will have no impact on your current or future relationship with your support entity or Griffith University or any other organisation.

The ethical conduct of this research

Griffith University conducts research in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of this research project, please contact: The Manager, Research Ethics, Office for Research, Bray Centre, Nathan Campus, Griffith University (Tel: +61 07 3735 4375 or researchethics@griffith.edu.au).

Distribution of results

Individual results will not be provided at any point. Results will also be written up in the PhD in Clinical Psychology thesis of Kylie Veale Sotheren. Results may also be written up for publication in scientific publications/journals, and presented in relevant forums e.g., conferences.

Feedback to you

We will produce a 1-2-page summary of the findings, which will be sent to your support group or member society/organisation. We will also post this summary to the MCD and Quality of Life page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MCDandQoL. Alternatively, you are free to contact the research team to receive a summary of the findings and can do so without explanation for your request.  Winners of the prize draw will be directly notified by email. Notification of the prize draw and winner locations will be published on the study webpage (https://www.facebook.com/MCDandQoL).

Questions / further information

For further information, or if you have any questions, please contact:
Kylie Veale Sotheren, Investigator, kylie.vealesotheren@griffithuni.edu.au

Link to participate – study ends Oct 30

ACR Responds to 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

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The following is a press release from ACR dated Weds, September 15.

In comments submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) shared its perspective on the CY 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program proposed rule.

“We are especially appreciative of CMS’ continued recognition of the value of complex care provided by rheumatologists and other cognitive care specialists by continuing to operationalize the Evaluation and Management (E/M) coding changes that were set in motion over the last few years. As our nation’s healthcare system continues to navigate the challenges of a global pandemic, we also appreciate the policies and flexibilities set forth by CMS to help alleviate these challenges while we all work to provide quality care for our patients,” said David Karp, MD, PhD, president of the ACR. “In light of ongoing volatility and unknowns in the healthcare system, we would also like to share our concerns with some other aspects of the proposed rule – especially the proposed decrease in the conversion factor, CMS’ proposed implementation of the rheumatology MIPS Value Pathway and a new proposal for EHR interoperability and digital quality measures.”

The ACR’s specific comments and concerns are outlined as follows:

Evaluation and Management Services

The ACR appreciates CMS’ ongoing commitment to implementing recent changes to E/M codes that more appropriately reflect the value of cognitive specialists and urges the agency to continue monitoring how the updated codes are operationalized. The ACR also appreciates the proposed rule’s revisions to the long-standing policy on billing for split (or shared) visits but wants to ensure that these changes don’t become burdensome for providers, especially as it relates to time tracking for the “substantive performance” of the provider, as this can introduce the potential for billing errors.

Telehealth Flexibilities

CMS has proposed extending several of the telehealth flexibilities that were implemented at the start of the public health emergency through the end of 2023.  The ACR appreciates this additional flexibility and recommends that the direct supervision waiver allowing a supervising physician to serve patients using real-time, interactive audio-video technology be made permanent. This would immediately provide timely access to cognitive services for Medicare beneficiaries and relieve an undue burden to an aging population.

The ACR also supports CMS’ proposal to permanently adopt a code (G2252) for an extended virtual check-in. This allows a provider to briefly check in with an established patient using any form of synchronous communication technology, including audio-only, and will be especially beneficial to patients in rural areas.

Conversion Factor Reduction, Physician Work and Practice Expense (PE) Relative Value Changes

The ACR shares the concerns raised by many specialty provider groups about CMS’ proposal to reduce the conversion factor by 3.75% in 2022 and urges the agency to maintain the current rate at least through 2023. The proposed reduction comes at a time when physician practices and hospitals are facing unprecedented uncertainty about their futures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Implementing reductions now would have a damaging impact on an already strained system.

Concerning the proposed updates to the Relative Value Units (RVUs), the ACR recognizes that CY 2022 is the final year of a four-year transition period to update the practice expense (PE) component with the latest pricing data for supplies and equipment. In conjunction with this final year of the equipment pricing update, CMS is also proposing an update to the clinical labor pricing component in CY 2022, which could result in temporary distortions for provider reimbursement. To minimize disruptions to physician practices, the ACR recommends CMS use a similar four-year transition to implement the clinical labor pricing update.

EHR Interoperability & Digital Quality Measures

While the ACR is overall encouraged by CMS’ efforts to broaden the standardization of clinical data and increase electronic health record (EHR) interoperability, the ACR has several concerns with how the agency’s proposed recommendations will impact practices – particularly smaller practices with fewer financial resources. As a next step for moving forward, the ACR recommends CMS conduct an environmental landscape assessment of EHR software capabilities that should consider factors such as costs to practices, specialty-specific templates and reports, registry participation and patient portal access. This should help establish a clearer picture of practices’ reasonable ability to meet CMS’ proposed digital health goals and avoid a situation where providers are held accountable for factors that are beyond their control.

Rheumatology MIPS Value Pathway (MVP)

The ACR is pleased that the proposed rule includes a new MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) for rheumatology as proposed by the ACR and looks forward to working with the agency to ensure that it is implemented successfully. However, the ACR has several concerns with the proposed rollout of the MVP program and the lack of details that have been provided thus far. In particular, the ACR recommends delaying setting a deadline for sunsetting traditional MIPS until the agency can evaluate the success of implementing MVPs.

For more details, view the ACR’s full comment letter (PDF).

Gamers gear up to raise £5,000 for Fibromyalgia Action UK this awareness month

Posted on by Grayson

The below is a press release from Fibromyalgia Action UK.

A couple of quick notes:

  1. I’ve added a few more links for some background info.
  2. There isn’t much information around the rates of fibromyalgia that occur in the transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse communities.
  3. Many providers treat fibromyalgia as a ‘garbage can’ diagnosis, AKA if they don’t know what’s wrong with you they may misdiagnose you with fibro if you have, say, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) but they aren’t familiar with it and don’t know what to look or test for. Because of that, there is a wide range of experiences with fibro.

All that said, check out the below and see what you can do to help!

FMAUK Gaming for Good, a gaming charity fundraiser, will wrap up on the 12th of September, coinciding with the end of Fibromyalgia Awareness Week UK. The fundraiser aims to raise £5,000 for Fibromyalgia awareness charity, Fibromyalgia Action UK (FMAUK).

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition which is thought to impact 1 in 20 people in the UK. FMAUK aims to improve the lives of people with Fibromyalgia by increasing awareness of the condition throughout the UK and elsewhere, as well as improving the awareness of, and access to, treatments.

Fibromyalgia can bring unpleasant and life-changing symptoms, such as:

  • Fatigue and exhaustion
  • Widespread body pain
  • Non-refreshing sleep
  • Cognitive disturbances and confusion

People who suffer from fibromyalgia can find that it has a huge impact on their lives, and they may not be able to do things that they once did before developing the condition. For unknown reasons Fibromyalgia impacts women more than it does men. The women/men ratio is around 7:1.

There is no cure for Fibromyalgia. Treatment is focused on managing the symptoms of the condition and includes things such as pain killers, anti-depressants and anti-epileptic medications, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and counselling.

Gaming for good

Gaming for Good is when individuals or teams raise money for good causes through playing video games. According to Third Sector, in the US, which is home to 178.7 million gamers, charitable fundraising has become an integral part of the gaming community. A livestreamed fundraiser run by GuardianCon, an annual gaming convention in Florida, raised $3.7m (£2.9m) for the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital before the convention even started.

Participants of the FMAUK Gaming for Good fundraiser have been invited to host their own gaming marathons or tournaments in September, encouraging friends and family to fundraise in teams, or alternatively, challenge themselves to a game for a set period of time.

Andrew Hardy, Gaming for Good fundraiser, comments:

“I chose to help FMA by raising money via Gaming for good as I find that gaming can really help distract me from pain. It’s something I believe can help many young people with fibromyalgia.

I will be raising money via Game streams on Twitch.tv as the website allows me to interact with people directly and I feel I can talk about Fibromyalgia and raise awareness and vital funds. I will keep supporting FMA UK via gaming and any other events I can do for as long as I am able to as I strongly believe that one day, we will find better treatments & a cure for Fibromyalgia.

If I can help people like myself get out of pain, then I have helped make the world a better place for Fibromyalgia sufferers. I will be dedicating my fundraiser to my mum, Lindsay, who inspires me every day to continue the fight against Fibromyalgia & to help FMA UK!”

FMAUK has seen previous success through gaming fundraisers. Frankie Lollia raised £1,795 in May 2020 through a gaming livestream on YouTube, smashing the original target of £500.

Fundraising will be supported by Give as You Live, an online innovative charity fundraising platform.

Des Quinn, FMAUK Chair, comments “People with fibromyalgia often try to find distraction and respite from their condition in things they enjoy. Online gaming is increasingly popular, so it seemed like the perfect way to raise money this Fibromyalgia Week. We’re incredibly proud to be part of such a supportive community. It’s wonderful to see people come together and spread the word.”

Annabelle Risdon, Director and Head of Partnerships at Give as You Live, adds “At Give as You Live, we’ve seen first-hand how difficult the past year or so has been for small charities like FMAUK. We’re incredibly happy to see money and awareness being raised for such a worthy cause.”

About FMAUK

Fibromyalgia Action UK is a registered charity run primarily by unpaid volunteers. The majority of volunteers are also fibromyalgia sufferers who work extremely hard, despite their condition, in order to forward the cause of fibromyalgia. FMAUK was established in order to provide information and support to sufferers and their families. In addition, the Charity provides medical information for professionals and operates a national helpline.

We aim to encourage NHS and other funding sources for new research projects. At present there is very little research being carried out in the UK and sufferers are told there is no cure. We hope that will be a statement of the past.

Mission Statement

To improve the lives of people with fibromyalgia by increasing awareness of the condition throughout the UK and elsewhere, and improve the awareness of, and access to, treatments for fibromyalgia.

Our Charity Registration number is: 1042582
Our HMRC Reference number is: available on request
Company Registration number is: SC492045

‘Sexual RAlationships’ Facebook Live with NRAS UK, Sept 15

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Has rheumatoid arthritis negatively impacted your relationships, intimacy, or sex life?

Don’t miss the ‘Sexual RAlationships’ Facebook Live on Wednesday 15 September at 6 pm BST. That’s 1 pm Eastern. You can convert to your time zone here.

Lohani Noor is a psychotherapist and psychosexual therapist. She recently was an expert on BBC Three’s Sex on the Couch. She is also the author of 12 Steps to Sexual Connection, available via Audible.

Be sure to register. You can email questions ahead of time by Sept 10.

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), is the only patient-led organisation in the UK specialising in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). You can follow them on FB, IG, and Twitter. Make sure to check out their website as well!

You can view the recording below:

ACR Webinar: Reproductive Health & Rheumatic Disease – Sept 14 @ 7 pm ET

Posted on by Grayson

 

The following is an upcoming webinar from the ACR. Please note that this post has a major focus on cisgender folks and contains binary gendered language. It’s likely the webinar will as well.

Rheumatic diseases are lifelong conditions that affect over 54 million Americans, often during their childbearing years. Rheumatic diseases disproportionately impact women and certain rheumatic diseases are more prevalent in minority populations than they are in the general population.

On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 7 pm EDT, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and its Simple Tasks campaign will host a FREE webinar for patients, health care professionals, media and the general public on reproductive health and rheumatic disease. Attendees can expect discussion and resources from a panel of leading experts in rheumatology care, reproductive health, and parenting.

To register for the webinar, please visit rheum4you.org.

During the 90-minute webinar, experts will cover:

  • Family planning with rheumatic disease, including fertility, contraception, male reproductive health, treatment considerations for men and women, and medication compatibility.
  • Pregnancy and rheumatic disease, including the impact of pregnancy on rheumatic disease, the role of the rheumatology provider in your care during pregnancy, genetic factors, and medication compatibility.
  • Parenting with rheumatic disease, including tips for managing the treatment of a child with rheumatic disease, parenting while managing a chronic disease, breastfeeding, compatible medications, and occupational and physical therapy tips for caring for your child.

Panelists:

Webinar Moderator:

  • Cheryl Crow – Occupational Therapist, OTR/L and Founder of “Arthritis Life” multi-media platform and Podcast Host

You can view the recording below:

https://youtu.be/oW3F3HMmCFg

ACR Update on Tocilizumab/Actemra Shortages

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The following is a press release issued by the ACR as of yesterday, August 17, 2021:

The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is actively engaged with the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) drug shortage team as they work with the manufacturer to resolve current shortages of tocilizumab (Actemra). Demand for tocilizumab has outpaced supply, with demand increasing after the FDA’s June 24 Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for tocilizumab to be used for the treatment of COVID-19 in some hospitalized adult and pediatric patients.

The manufacturer has indicated in an Aug. 16 update that providers may currently find tocilizumab IV supplies to be unavailable due to high demand, but they expect IV stock replenishments by the end of August. Measures are being taken to expedite replenishments and increase manufacturing capacity and supply wherever possible, but they have indicated additional intermittent shortage periods may occur in the months ahead if the COVID-19 pandemic continues at the current pace.

According to their statement, subcutaneous formulations (pens and pre-filled syringes) continue to be available for patients prescribed tocilizumab for FDA-approved indications, and these are not authorized for treatment of COVID-19 patients under the EUA.

Providers experiencing trouble obtaining tocilizumab IV or any other issues related to COVID-19 can contact the ACR at COVID@rheumatology.org.

Rheumatology Patients on Immunosuppressive Medications Qualify for Third COVID-19 Vaccine Dose

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The following is a press release from the ACR released within half an hour of this post:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices today recommended that rheumatology patients being actively treated with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

The approval came one day after the FDA announced it would be revising the current emergency use authorizations (EUA) for the two mRNA vaccines to permit a third dosage in certain immunocompromised patients. The recommendation applies for ages 12 and older for individuals receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and18 and older for patients receiving the Moderna vaccine. The new EUA is specifically for the two mRNA vaccines and does not extend to recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine currently.

“This will be enormously important for our immunocompromised patients, and we are thankful to the FDA and CDC for hearing our concerns, recognizing the needs of this population and moving forward,” stated ACR President Dr. David Karp. “We look forward to working with the agencies as they communicate this new recommendation.”

The additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be administered at least 28 days after completion of the primary vaccine series, and patients and providers should stick to the same brand for the third dose, if possible. No determination was made on the safety of receiving one of the mRNA vaccines if a patient initially received the Johnson & Johnson shot.

All immunocompromised patients, including those who receive an additional mRNA dose should continue to follow prevention measures, including:

  • Wearing a mask
  • Staying 6 feet apart from those they don’t live with
  • Avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider
  • Close contacts of immunocompromised people should be strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

These preventative measures remain critical due to real-world data that shows immunocompromised individuals are more likely to have a lower response to the initial vaccine dosage and are more likely to experience breakthrough infections. According to the CDC, 40-44 percent of hospitalized breakthrough cases are immunocompromised patients.

In a recent randomized trial of a third dose of Moderna vaccine in transplant recipients, 33 – 50 percent of those who had no detectable antibody response to an initial mRNA vaccine series developed one with a third dose, and the proportion of the group who are seropositive increased to 68 percent with the third dose. No serious adverse events were reported, and the symptoms reported were consistent with previous doses, with mostly mild or moderate symptoms reported.

The CDC noted that the effectiveness and accuracy of antibody testing are still being evaluated. Patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should discuss a third dose with their providers.

“Not all medications that our patients take have been shown to have significant effects on responses to vaccination. Patients should ask their provider if they are likely to see a beneficial effect from additional vaccination,” Dr. Karp said. “Luckily, we have not seen any safety signals in patients with autoimmune and rheumatic diseases from the COVID-19 vaccines, so there should be no concern for the third dose.”

The ACR’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Task force is meeting Monday, Aug. 16 to discuss potential changes to the ACR’s clinical guidance and expect to share recommendations shortly after.

For more on this, you can also check out the recent town hall webinar from ACR now uploaded to YouTube.