Lisa Sammaritano, MD: Final Thoughts, ACR Guidelines on Reproductive Health

This past spring, the American College of Rheumatology has published recommendations on best practices for managing reproductive health in patients with rheumatic conditions.

The goal of these recommended guidelines is to encourage open communication and inform shared decision-making between patients and their physicians on issues related to reproductive health, including pregnancies.

“This area of reproductive health in rheumatic diseases has become increasingly important as our patients are in better health because of our better therapies,” said Lisa Sammaritano, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine and Hospital for Special Surgery, in an interview with HCPLive®.

As improved treatments and technologies have become available in this domain, it has become increasingly important for patients, rheumatologists, and primary care physicians to make decisions together about the best strategies for optimal care.

Sammaritano noted that rheumatologists should still actively engage in these conversations on reproductive health, even if they themselves feel unable to provide comprehensive information.

She emphasized the usefulness of the ACR recommendations in providing guidance for rheumatologists and patients in these discussions.

“There are really helpful guidelines and management suggestions that are easy to refer to if one needs that,” she said.

Sammaritano is the lead author on the ACR reproductive health recommendations.