IAS 2018: Collaboration to Improve Outcomes of Patients with Immune-mediated Diseases
Lisa Samalonis, Managing Editor
The 2018 Interdisciplinary Autoimmune Summit (IAS) kicked off at the Westin Waterfront in Boston, MA on Friday April 27. More than 220 dermatologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, immunologists, internists, and other health care professionals gathered to discuss and collaborate on optimal treatment strategies for patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). The speakers shared complex cases on psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthropathies, Crohn disease, and ulcerative colitis. Twenty-two related exhibitor booths allows the attendees a chance to walk around and learn more about companies and services in the inter-related fields as well as network with their colleagues.
Figure 1. Co-chairs Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc, Adam S. Cheifetz, MD and Mital Patel, MD shared opening remarks at today's IAS conference.
Advisors for the 5th annual meeting included Leonard H. Calabrese, DO; Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE; and Dr Hanauer. New 2018 IAS Co-Chairs (from left to right) are Adam S. Cheifetz, MD; Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc, FAAD, FACR; Mital Patel, MD (Figure 1).
An ever-increasing overlap and complexity between specialties with regard to pathophysiologic mechanisms of immunologic disease, associated co-morbidities, drug mechanism and drug-induced complications and considerations, according to Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc, co-chair of the meeting and is professor, Harvard Medical School, director, Clinical Unit for Research Innovation and Trials (CUReIT), Dermatology, and co-director, Center for Skin and Related Musculoskeletal Diseases, Department of Dermatology and Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Associate Program Director, Combined Medicine-Dermatology Residency Program, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“The IAS is an incredibly unique opportunity to communicate with colleagues across the boundaries of traditional disciplines,” he said. “The dermatologist is at the forefront of cutaneous toxicities of immuno-oncologic therapy, cutaneous manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and connective tissue disease. Dermatologists attending the IAS will learn about the cutting edge of disease diagnostics and therapeutics at the interface of GI-Derm, Rheum-Derm, and related fields.”
This year’s summit include more than 28 sessions and 3 tailored educational tracks, including a dermatology track, where attendees can earn up to 15.75 CME/CNE/CPE credits. The sessions explored the relationships between the pathophysiology of IMIDs and the mechanism-of-action of new and existing treatments, outlined the roles of current and emerging immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, and disease-modifying therapies for IMIDs in treatment paradigms; and discussed the development of collaborative care guidance to improve the management of patients with multiple manifestations of IMIDs.
Figure 2. Keynote speaker Lilly Stairs provides the patient perspective.
Lilly Stairs, head of patient advocacy at Clara Health, and also a board member of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, presented the keynote talk, “Patient Perspective: Living Life with Multiple Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (Figure 2).” Her talk provided feedback from patients and offered tips for clinicians from the patients’ perspective on navigating the health care system. “Ask your patients what they are frustrated by when trying to navigate the health care system. They might not know to ask you and it might be something you can easily help with,” she said.
She provided resources for physicians to share with their patients on cost savings for medicine to support groups, social media, and other information available on line.
The intimate setting of the conference afforded attendees the opportunity to interact with the speakers and exhibitors in a casual, friendly session.