Segment 1 - The Current State of Rheumatoid Arthritis in the United States

Mark Fendrick, MD, co-editor-in-chief, The American Journal of Managed Care, professor, Division of General Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan, moderated a discussion on the management and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). He was joined by Eric M. Ruderman, MD, professor of medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and James O’Dell, MD, professor, internal medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The panelists began by analyzing the state of RA in the United States in 2014. Dr O’Dell said that the most important point for patients and providers to understand is that current diagnosis and treatment procedures for RA can result in near or complete remission. He also noted the importance of early diagnosis and in starting a RA treatment regimen.