CRAJ Summer 2021

Summer 2021 (Volume 31, Number 2)

Update on CRA Initiatives

The Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) is pleased to provide the following updates:

Pediatric Choosing Wisely Recommendations
Over the last several months, the CRA Choosing Wisely Pediatric subcommittee has developed a list of seven recommendations that clinicians and patients should consider regarding resource stewardship. This list will be published on the Choosing Wisely Canada website: choosingwiselycanada.org/. The development of this list was a collaborative endeavour, involving not only CRA members but an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Arthritis Care (ACPAC), parent and patient representative as well.

Position Statement on Virtual Care
The CRA has published a position statement on virtual care. The purpose of the position statement is to support responsible, appropriate virtual health usage by Canadian rheumatologists. The position statement recognizes that rheumatologists will and should continue to use virtual health post-pandemic; identifies the benefits of virtual health and the need for ongoing support; and recognizes the importance of establishing virtual health practice standards. Visit the following link for more information: rheum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/EN-CRA-Position-Statement-on-Virtual-Care_April-29_2021.pdf. Best practice statements for virtual care in rheumatology are currently being finalized and will be another valuable resource for CRA members coming soon!

Call for 2022 ASM Workshop Proposals
Members of the CRA and Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) are invited to share their knowledge and experience by submitting a workshop proposal for the upcoming 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting. ASM interactive workshops are intended to bring the rheumatology community together to discuss topics and issues that optimize patient care. For more information and to submit a proposal, please visit rheum.ca. The deadline to submit is July 30, 2021.

Updated CRA Recommendation on COVID-19 Vaccination in Persons with Autoimmune Rheumatic Disease
The CRA GRADE recommendation, originally published on February 13, 2021, has now been updated to include the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines and can be found on the CRA website at rheum.ca/resources/publications/. Additionally, the manuscript has been published in the Journal of Rheumatology and is available to read here: jrheum.org/content/early/2021/05/11/jrheum.210288.The CRA Decision Aid for the COVID-19 Vaccine that accompanies this guidance is being updated and expanded to include considerations for pediatric patients. This tool is currently under development but may in fact be published by the time of this publication. Please check the CRA website at rheum.ca/covid-19/.

Updated CRA Position Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination Care
In addition to the CRA GRADE recommendation on COVID-19 Vaccination, CRA has also published an update to the Position Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination to include the expanded use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children between the ages of 12-15 years. The Position Statement is a document intended not only for clinicians, but for the public and decision-makers as well and is often used as an advocacy tool. The Position Statement has been updated several times since its first publication on December 31, 2020, to reflect changing recommendations and to advocate for the prioritization of vaccination and early second doses for immunocompromised individuals. Visit rheum.ca/resources/publications/ to read the updated CRA Position Statement.