Learning Objectives

By the end of the meeting, participants will: be able to discuss new concepts in rheumatic diseases; be able to appraise new treatment paradigms and guidelines for rheumatic diseases; be able to encourage peer mentoring. The meeting will allow for clinical and scholarly collaboration, and to interact with members of the Arthritis Health Professions Association for the benefit of our patients.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Dunlop-Dottridge Lecture: Autoinflammatory Diseases, presented by Dr. Dan Kastner

This session will present (1) the possibility that genes causing rheumatic disease could be protective against pandemic infections; (2) a clinical spectrum ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness, caused by variants in the same inflammation-related genes; and (3) the role of somatic mutations in explaining adult-onset rheumatic diseases.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. explain how genetic variants that cause familial Mediterranean fever may be protective against the bubonic plague
  2. discuss the relationship between canker sores, PFAPA, and Behcet’s disease
  3. identify adult patients who may have a newly described disease called VEXAS

CanMEDS roles 

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Communicator
  3. Scholar
Controversies in Rheumatology
Tapering Treatment with Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Patients with Well Controlled Inflammatory Arthritis – Bindee Kuriya and Jaime Guzman

This session will review the rationale and evidence for medication tapering/withdrawal in the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in 2021.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. understand reasons to consider tapering/withdrawal of DMARD therapy in inflammatory arthritis (IA)
  2. review published evidence on how to taper/withdraw csDMARDs, bioDMARDs and/or tsDMARDs in IA
  3. summarize the ability to “recapture” if tapering/withdrawal fails

CanMEDS roles 

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Scholar
  3. Professional
Treatment of Myositis with IVIG: Rheumatology and Neurology Perspectives – Erin O’Ferrall and Chris Mecoli

Neurologic and rheumatologic opinions can differ regarding who, when, and how long to treat myositis patients with IVIG. We will review evidence and provide expert opinion with regards to the role of IVIG in caring for myositis patients.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. review high-level evidence for IVIG in myositis
  2. discuss controversies in terms of when to treat and dosing of IVIG
  3. identify which myositis subgroups should be selected for IVIG therapy

CanMEDS roles 

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Scholar
  3. Professional

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Clinical Pearls and Mysterious Cases

Presenters: Haonan Mi, Maria Powell and Yifan Yang

Short, practical medical tips and puzzling clinical cases are presented from patient-centered observations.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. list clinical pearls potentially of use in their practices
  2. recognize & evaluate the clinical reasoning necessary to solve mysterious cases

CanMEDS roles

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Collaborator

Address by Distinguished Investigator: Are We Ready to Personalize Antimalarial Therapy in SLE? – Sasha Bernatsky

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is used by pretty much every rheumatologist on the planet; it’s a particularly important drug for SLE.  Many believe SLE patients should be kept on HCQ indefinitely, but do we (and our patients) have the data we need to make personalized decisions in 2021? 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. discuss with a patient questions about hydroxychloroquine dose reduction
  2. develop a clearer understanding of using quinacrine as an antimalarial in SLE
  3. recognize different types of potential cardiac effects due to antimalarials

CanMEDS roles

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Communicator
  3. Professional
RheumJeopardy

Based on the classic TV game show Jeopardy!, every audience member will be a player on one of 2 teams in an interactive contest testing your knowledge of rheumatology topics with a Canadian focus. Entertaining, provocative, and fun!

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. highlight recent world-class Canadian research in rheumatology
  2. prove that rheumatology is the broadest and most interesting medical subspecialty
  3. explore past rheumatology triumphs upon which the therapies of the new decade will rely

CanMEDS roles

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Scholar

Friday, February 26, 2021

State-of-the-Art Lecture: Vaccination and Travel: Should I or shouldn’t I?, presented by Dr. Michael Libman

This session will examine some of the issues related to vaccinations for the rheumatic disease patients. Both routine vaccination and pre-travel vaccines will be discussed.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. understand the options for mitigation of complications of infections in patients with rheumatic diseases
  2. explain interactions between vaccines, rheumatic diseases, and common associated medications
  3. identify travel associated risks in rheumatic patients

CanMEDS roles 

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Health Advocate
  3. Scholar
Clinical Pearls and Mysterious Cases

Presenters: Chelsea DeCoste, Arpita Gantayet and Larissa Petriw

Short, practical medical tips and puzzling clinical cases are presented from patient-centered observations.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. list clinical pearls potentially of use in their practices
  2. recognize & evaluate the clinical reasoning necessary to solve mysterious cases

CanMEDS roles

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Collaborator

Keynote Lecture: Delivering on What Matters: Lessons from Canada’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, presented by Dr. Danielle Martin

Canadians are often very proud of our universal healthcare system, believing that it is a demonstration of our shared social contract. However, existing cracks in our health system have become chasms in the wake of the COVID-19. Far from being “the great equalizer”, the pandemic has highlighted problems that are long overdue for a fix. In her keynote, Dr. Danielle Martin will highlight three core health system issues — wait times for elective care, access to services outside of medicare, the social determinants of health– and how they have been exacerbated by COVID-19. And rather than proposing a return to “normal”, Dr. Martin will instead make the case for shaping a more truly universal system through feasible, evidence-informed solutions.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. provide an overview of Canada’s healthcare delivery system and its most pressing policy challenges prior to COVID-19
  2. explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing health system issues, providing an opportunity for significant change
  3. outline clear evidence-informed policy changes that could enable Canada to deliver care more equitably and efficiently

CanMEDS roles

  1. Communicator
  2. Leader
  3. Health Advocate
The Great Debate: Be it resolved that telemedicine allows rheumatologists to provide excellent care to patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases

Chair:  Volodko Bakowsky

For: Alexandra Saltman and Tommy Gerschman 

Against: Brent Ohata and Jocelyne Murdoch

Join us for a lively debate on the topic of telemedicine!

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. identify positive/successful aspects of virtual care
  2. recognize obstacles and limitations of virtual care
  3. have some fun getting to know a few of your colleagues from across the country

CanMEDS roles 

  1. Medical Expert
  2. Communicator
  3. Collaborator
  4. Health Advocate