Scleroderma Study Identifies Roadblocks to Employment

Scleroderma Foundation eLetter

eLetter #406

Greetings!

Full Conference Workshop Listing

Available to View Online

New workshop sessions have been announced to the line-up for this year's National Patient Education Conference in San Francisco July 8-10. Here are some of the new additions:

Charles P. Melone, Jr., M.D., will present "Surgical Options for Hand Involvement." Those with scleroderma can experience medical problems specific to their hands such as ulcerations, calcium deposits, decreased blood flow, and joint deformities that require special treatment. This session will emphasize how the application of surgical techniques can help improve blood flow, promote healing and improve function.

Richard Silver, M.D., will lead a session on "Pulmonary Fibrosis." PF affects many people with systemic sclerosis. Learn about its symptoms and the different types of tests performed to diagnose PF. This session will discuss treatments and review recent research findings and new medications being used to treat this condition. Dr. Silver also will lead "Paul Klee - The Artist and His Disease." Important lessons of the human aspects of medicine can be appreciated by viewing and analyzing fine art. In this lecture, the effect of scleroderma on the life and art of Paul Klee, one of the pioneers of modern art, will be discussed. Although his life was cut short, scleroderma did not break Klee's indomitable spirit and only served to boost his artistic productivity.

View all of the 2011 conference workshop titles now.

YOOSCAN: Secure Storage of Your Medical Information

The Scleroderma Foundation is proud to offer all members free secure online storage of personal medical images and other medical information through its partnership with YOOSCAN. This revolutionary technology is made possible using similar processes that power Google and Facebook. It is combined with the added security and expertise that comes from YOOSCAN's experience of safe, secure handling of private medical information for hospitals and health care facilities across the U.S. as well as for the Department of Defense. Your medical records can now be instantly available when you need them anywhere, anytime for better medical care. This is done without cumbersome CDs, films, paper prints or other materials.

Visit YOOSCAN's booth at the National Patient Education Conference in San Francisco to learn more. Click here to set up your YOOSCAN account today and bring any CDs of medical images or other medical records that you would like uploaded to your YOOSCAN account to receive complimentary services at the conference.

Scleroderma Study Identifies Roadblocks to Employment

In the United States, the work disability rate for people with systemic scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is two to three times that of people with some other rheumatic conditions, according to research data from investigators at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.

Medication Management:

Choosing a Reminder System

Anyone who cares for someone with a chronic illness for very long will soon realize there is much to be learned about how to organize medications. There are many ways to remind patients which medications to take when. In addition, what about those patients who insist on taking medications on their own? Are there ways to remind them about medicines that are unobtrusive and fit into the routine of every day life?

Learn more about how to select a medication reminder system for your life or someone in your care from Today's Caregiver.

New Program Makes It Easier to Talk About a Common GI Problem

Bowel control problems affect an estimated 18 million U.S. adults. People with bowel control problems are often reluctant to discuss the condition, even with their doctor. The Bowel Control Awareness Campaign and its Web resources raises awareness of bowel control problems, also known as fecal incontinence.

A new program to help patients and health care professionals feel more comfortable talking about bowel control problems is now available from the National Institutes of Health. Find out more at www.bowelcontrol.nih.gov.