In this rheumatology FAQ, Audrey Gibson, PA-C, reviews how clinical manifestations and histopathologic features vary across idiopathic inflammatory myopathy subtypes, including dermatomyositis, polymyositis, antisynthetase syndrome, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and inclusion body myositis. This clinically focused discussion highlights the key differences in muscle weakness patterns, skin findings, interstitial lung disease, malignancy risk, autoantibody associations, and muscle biopsy findings that help guide diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring, and treatment decisions. Audrey also explores hallmark histopathologic features such as perifascicular atrophy, endomysial inflammation, perimysial pathology, muscle fiber necrosis, rimmed vacuoles, and inclusion bodies. Designed for rheumatology advanced practice providers and clinicians, this FAQ offers practical insights to support earlier recognition, subtype-specific evaluation, multidisciplinary care, and more personalized management of patients with inflammatory myopathies.

In this rheumatology FAQ, host Audrey Gibson, PA-C from the Arthritis Center of North Georgia in Gainesville, Georgia, discusses the key unmet needs in the treatment of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including myositis, dermatomyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and other rare inflammatory muscle diseases. These complex, heterogeneous autoimmune conditions can be difficult to diagnose and manage, often leading to delayed diagnosis, ongoing muscle weakness, disability, treatment toxicity, and gaps in long-term disease control. This episode explores why earlier recognition, better biomarkers, improved risk stratification, standardized treatment algorithms, steroid-sparing therapies, and more targeted treatment options are urgently needed in myositis care. Audrey also reviews how antibody profiles, such as anti-Mi-2, anti-SRP, and anti-MDA5, can influence prognosis and treatment decisions, while highlighting emerging therapeutic approaches including IVIG, rituximab, mycophenolate, JAK inhibitors, FcRn inhibitors, interferon pathway inhibition, and complement-targeted therapies.

Designed for rheumatology advanced practice providers and clinicians caring for patients with autoimmune muscle disease, this discussion emphasizes the important role APPs play in identifying subtle disease progression, coordinating multidisciplinary care, monitoring medication toxicity, educating patients, and translating evolving myositis research into practical patient care. For more rheumatology education and clinical resources, visit the RhAPP content rheum, RhAPP ACE app, or RhAPP website.

Stay up to date with the latest advances in rheumatoid arthritis management in this RhAPPcast Fireside Chat episode focused on the SELECT-SWITCH trial and its implications for clinical practice. Hosted by Amanda Mixon, PA-C, this discussion features expert perspectives from Jeannette Hart, PA-C, and James Levine, DO, as they explore treatment decision-making after TNF inhibitor failure and what the latest evidence means for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Learn why the SELECT-SWITCH trial was designed, how it compares switching to a different mechanism of action versus cycling within the TNF inhibitor class, and what the study revealed about efficacy, remission rates, and low disease activity outcomes. The panel discusses real-world considerations when selecting next-line therapies, including the role of JAK inhibitors such as upadacitinib, patient characteristics that may influence treatment choices, and how current guidelines support switching mechanisms after inadequate TNF inhibitor response.

Whether you're a rheumatology provider, advanced practice provider (APP), or healthcare professional managing patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this episode provides practical insights into interpreting clinical trial data, discussing treatment changes with patients, and balancing efficacy and safety when making therapeutic decisions. For more expert-led education, visit the Content Rheum and stay up to date with the latest clinical insights in rheumatologic care.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Heather Finlayson, PA-C, to discuss treat-to-target strategies in lupus management and how DORIS remission can be applied in real-world clinical practice. This conversation explores what successful lupus care looks like beyond flare management, including steroid minimization, low disease activity, shared decision-making, and the use of objective tools such as SLEDAI-2K to monitor disease activity. Listeners will gain practical insights on setting realistic remission goals, reducing long-term prednisone burden, recognizing when to escalate therapy, and helping patients understand that remission in systemic lupus erythematosus means stable disease control on therapy. Designed for rheumatology APPs and clinicians, this episode offers actionable strategies to improve lupus outcomes, support patient-centered care, and bring treat-to-target goals into everyday practice.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of the Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by rheumatology pharmacist expert Danielle Gatti Palumbo, PharmD, to explore the expanding role of clinical pharmacists in rheumatology care. This conversation highlights how pharmacists are integrated into multidisciplinary teams to support the management of complex rheumatic diseases through medication optimization, side effect management, patient counseling, and improving access to therapies.

Listeners will gain practical insights into key areas where pharmacists add value, including navigating complex dosing regimens, managing biologics and biosimilars, monitoring labs and safety parameters, and overcoming insurance and prior authorization barriers. The discussion also emphasizes real-world challenges such as patient adherence, therapy switching, and coordination between providers, pharmacies, and patients. Additionally, this episode underscores the importance of pharmacist-led patient education, shared decision-making, and proactive follow-up to enhance outcomes and reduce gaps in care.

Ideal for rheumatology providers, pharmacists, and advanced practice providers, this episode delivers actionable strategies to improve efficiency, safety, and collaboration in clinical practice.

For more expert-led rheumatology education, visit the RhAPP Content Rheum and RhAPP ACE app, and subscribe to RhAPPcast for future episodes.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Wendy Simmons, PA-C, for Part 3 of the EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series.

Together, they review key osteoporosis abstracts from the 2026 EULAR Congress, including new insights on the longitudinal impact of menopause on bone health and osteoporosis risk in women with spondyloarthritis, as well as the importance of monitoring bone mineral density, fracture risk, and individualized osteoporosis management.

This episode also explores long-term data on romosozumab followed by denosumab compared with denosumab alone in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, highlighting the value of treatment sequencing, anabolic-first strategies, trabecular bone score, and early intervention for patients at very high risk of fracture.

Watch Part 3 now and revisit the full EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series. For more rheumatology education, visit the RhAPP Content Rheum and RhAPP ACE Mobile App.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Wendy Simmons, PA-C, for Part 2 of the EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series.

Together, they review key osteoporosis abstracts from the 2026 EULAR Congress, including new insights on the use of GLP-1 based therapies in patients taking oral bisphosphonates for osteoporosis and the potential impact on adverse events, medication tolerability, calcium absorption, and long-term bone health.

This episode also explores bone mineral density in patients with rheumatoid arthritis under different biologic and targeted synthetic treatment strategies, highlighting the importance of ongoing bone health monitoring, individualized therapy decisions, and the need for additional research before applying these findings broadly in clinical practice.

Stay tuned for the next episode in the EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series. For more rheumatology education, visit the RhAPP Content Rheum and RhAPP ACE Mobile App.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Wendy Simmons, PA-C, for Part 1 of the EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series.

Together, they review key osteoporosis abstracts from the 2026 EULAR Congress, including new insights on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, adherence to the 2022 ACR guidelines, fracture risk reduction, and the role of rheumatology bone specialist clinics in improving patient outcomes.

This episode also explores the treat-to-target approach in osteoporosis management, comparing real-world outcomes with teriparatide and denosumab, while highlighting the importance of individualized therapy, sequencing, bone mineral density goals, and early intervention for patients at high risk of fragility fractures.

Watch Part 1 now and stay tuned for the next episodes in the EULAR 2026 Osteoporosis RhAPP Up Series. For more rheumatology education, visit the RhAPP Content Rheum and RhAPP ACE Mobile App.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Audrey Gibson, PA-C, for part three of their special RhAPP Up series covering key psoriatic arthritis updates from the 2026 EULAR Congress.

They begin by discussing real-world evidence on long-term treatment persistence with advanced therapies in psoriatic arthritis, highlighting how different mechanisms of action compare over time. The conversation focuses on what persistence and discontinuation rates may reflect in clinical practice and how real-world data can help inform treatment decisions.

The episode also reviews a phase 2B study of a selective TYK2 inhibitor, exploring its effects on inflammatory biomarkers and clinical response in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. The discussion highlights how emerging biomarker research may one day help guide more personalized treatment selection and improve outcomes.

Whether you're a rheumatology provider, advanced practice provider (APP), or other healthcare professional, this episode offers practical insights into real-world treatment patterns, emerging targeted therapies, and the future potential of biomarker-driven precision medicine in psoriatic arthritis care.

Thank you for watching, be sure to explore the three-part ILD RhAPP Up Series, and stay tuned for our upcoming Osteoporosis Abstract Reviews.

In this episode of RhAPPcast, the official podcast of Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers, host Amanda Mixon, PA-C, is joined by Audrey Gibson, PA-C, for part two of their special RhAPP Up series covering key psoriatic arthritis updates from the 2026 EULAR Congress.

They discuss new long-term data highlighting the durability of response with emerging therapies in psoriatic arthritis, including how patients who respond early may be able to maintain disease control over several years. The conversation focuses on what sustained efficacy means for real-world treatment decisions and long-term disease management.

The episode also reviews subgroup data from a phase 3 study of an IL-23–targeting therapy, showing consistent improvements in joint symptoms and inhibition of structural damage progression across a range of patient types. The discussion highlights the importance of early inflammation control and its role in reducing long-term joint damage.

Whether you're a rheumatology provider, advanced practice provider (APP), or other healthcare professional, this episode offers practical insights into long-term treatment outcomes, emerging biologic therapies, and key factors that may influence therapy selection in psoriatic arthritis care.

Stay tuned for part three of the RhAPP Up series and visit the Content Rheum to stay up to date with the latest clinical insights in rheumatologic care.