Activities
02
The 2nd JARHP Seminar
Held on Tuesday, July 2, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The theme of the 2nd JARHP Seminar was "Lung lesions associated with rheumatoid arthritis." Interstitial pneumonia in particular is often seen in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. Doctors, nurses, and occupational therapists spoke about interstitial pneumonia from their perspectives.
"Expectations of medical staff for patients with rheumatic lung disease"
Professor Yoshiya Tanaka, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
When chest CT scans are taken of Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients, 50% are found to have interstitial pneumonia, and 40% of these are said to be progressive interstitial pneumonia. The 5-year survival rate for RA-ILD (RA-Interstitial lung disease) is 40%, and in particular in the UIP pattern (characterized by fibrotic lesions), the condition is prone to worsening as fibrosis progresses, so careful attention is required.
We talked about Nintedanib, one of the drugs used to treat idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Side effects include gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, etc.), so it is important to communicate well with patients undergoing treatment, share information, and respond accordingly.
Furthermore, when examining patients with interstitial pneumonia, fine crackles can be heard in both lower lung fields. These sounds are similar to crackling or crunching sounds. Auscultation is not only performed by doctors, but can also be observed by medical staff. This observation can lead to changes in the patient's condition and early detection, so cooperation as a medical team is important, according to the doctor.
I was able to reaffirm the importance of not just observing "my joints hurt..." but also carefully observing and caring for any diseases that may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Thank you for your lecture, Professor Tanaka.
"Nursing for patients with rheumatism and collagen disease complicated by respiratory diseases"
Dr. Yumiko Arai, Vice Director of Azuma Rheumatology and Internal Medicine Clinic
Rheumatoid arthritis is not the only disease that can be complicated with respiratory disease. Interstitial pneumonia is often seen in patients with collagen diseases, especially scleroderma. Patients with respiratory disease may show symptoms such as difficulty breathing if the disease progresses rapidly, but if the disease progresses slowly, the patient may not notice symptoms such as shortness of breath. Nurses were told that the key to success is how to observe patients with respiratory disease and how to detect changes in symptoms.
"Exercise and daily life ideas for patients with respiratory disorders"
Dr. Yoshiyuki Matsuyama, Occupational Therapist, Deputy Chief Sergeant, Department of Comprehensive Rehabilitation, Okayama University Hospital
I didn't know that there was respiratory rehabilitation for patients with respiratory diseases, so it was an eye-opener. I realized that there is a lot of depth to patient guidance for rheumatoid arthritis. We talked about movements that show breathing and movements that regulate breathing in daily life. I thought that I need to acquire knowledge about rehabilitation so that I can live my daily life with peace of mind and ease.
What did you think of the 2nd Japan RA Health Professionals Seminar?
Since it is a multidisciplinary research group, you can learn a lot of information.
We would like to thank Professor Yoshiya Tanaka for taking time out of his busy schedule to give a lecture at our seminar.
We look forward to your continued support at the next, 3rd Japan RA Health Professional Research Meeting.
Author: Midori Susaki
01
The 1st JARHP Seminar
Held on Friday, December 15, 2023 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
＊Opening Remarks＊ Mie Fusama, Professor at Takarazuka University, gave a talk on the outline of the Japan Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals.
[Special Lecture]
"The latest RA treatment strategies and expectations for medical staff"
President of Saitama Medical University / Professor Emeritus of Keio University Tsutomu Takeuchi
We asked Dr. Tsutomu Takeuchi to give a special lecture at the 1st JARHP Seminar, and he accepted despite his busy schedule in December. Thank you very much, Dr. Takeuchi.
During his lecture, Dr. Takeuchi announced that he will be the president of APLAR (Asia-Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology Congress) in November 2023. He said that he hopes that Japanese health professionals will also participate in APLAR and spread the activities of Japanese medical care, nursing, and medical staff. I honestly thought, "No, no, that's too presumptuous," but there is no doubt that it is a place where Japan, which is also Asia, can interact. I decided to work hard every day so that the activities of us health professionals can spread not only throughout Asia but also throughout the world.
He also answered many questions from the multidisciplinary participants one by one. He advised that each profession should conduct research that will enable them to build evidence, and that they should disseminate evidence that is created jointly by all medical staff, rather than by each individual. This is a grand scale undertaking, but I think everyone has now found a major goal.
[Keynote speech]
"For the patient's sake! Aiming to put Treat to Target into practice"
Higami Rheumatology and Diabetes Clinic Head Nurse Harumi Matsumura
Ms. Matsumura's lecture featured a story about a patient who visited the clinic. The patient was anxious about the unstable treatment plan and symptoms, and the joint destruction progressed. The doctor who examined her said, "That must have been tough." I think that was the moment the patient was suddenly relieved of her suffering. We need to teach patients not only about treatment and medication, but also about their daily lives so that they can understand. To do this, it is important to acquire knowledge and skills in easy-to-understand terms that allow patients to understand correctly. I thought that collaboration and cooperation between multiple professions would lead to Treat to Target, so that medical care, nursing, and care can be centered on the patient.
"Considering T2T practice from a pharmacist's perspective"
Dr. Yuichiro Kayano, Director of Pharmacy, Osaka Prefectural Saiseikai Nakatsu Hospital
A lecture from Mr. Kayano. As a hospital pharmacist, the treat to target is to ensure that patients take their medicine properly, and he talked about how to interact with patients to achieve this. MTX is a drug that is taken orally once a week or two or three times a week. Taking it once a week... it may be a difficult way of taking it for patients to get used to. He introduced a case where a patient asked, "You take medicine every day, right?" and the patient was taking MTX every day. I think it is necessary to consider guidance and patient management to dispel the concept that "you take medicine every day."
Dr. Takeuchi, who participated until the end despite his busy schedule, gave us some comments. He said that it is important to work and communicate across boundaries in order to cooperate with multiple professions, rather than resolving issues "only" within the profession "because we are nurses," "because we are pharmacists," or "because we are occupational and physical therapists." "Instead of knowing only about each type of rheumatoid arthritis, we must fully understand rheumatoid arthritis as a whole," he said, encapsulating the importance of multi-professional collaboration and team medical care. He also said that he would like to see this expanded beyond rheumatoid arthritis to cover a variety of disease areas.
Dr. Takeuchi, who participated until the end despite his busy schedule, gave us some comments. He said that it is important to work and communicate across boundaries in order to cooperate with multiple professions, rather than resolving issues "only" within the profession "because we are nurses," "because we are pharmacists," or "because we are occupational and physical therapists." "Instead of knowing only about each type of rheumatoid arthritis, we must fully understand rheumatoid arthritis as a whole," he said, encapsulating the importance of multi-professional collaboration and team medical care. He also said that he would like to see the topic expanded beyond rheumatoid arthritis to cover a variety of disease areas.
Author: Midori Suzaki