NIAMS Multicultural Outreach News — May 13, 2010

May 13, 2010

The NIAMS Multicultural Outreach News is an online quarterly digest to help keep our partners informed about information and resources for multicultural communities on diseases and conditions of the bones, joints, muscles and skin.

   Feature Stories
   Multicultural News & Events
   Featured Resources
   Did You Know?
   Health Partnership Program
    Update
   Where is the NIAMS?

   Health Information
   Portal en español
   Contact Us

Sara Rosario Wilson
Multicultural Outreach
Coordinator

Mimi Lising, M.P.H.
Multicultural Health Educator

Janet S. Austin, Ph.D.
Director

Office of Communications and Public Liaison
niamsinfo@mail.nih.gov

Website: www.niams.nih.gov

Photo of Tim Bhattacharyya, M.D.

NIAMS Orthopaedics Researcher Puts Things Back Together
Tim Bhattacharyya, M.D., a native of Aurora, Illinois, joined NIAMS last year in the Clinical and Investigative Orthopaedics Section of the Intramural Research Program. He also serves as a staff orthopaedic surgeon at Bethesda’s Suburban Hospital, specializing in cases with multiple and complex fractures. Bhattacharyya continues to see patients and conduct surgery at that facility while working part-time for NIAMS.

Joint Replacement Surgery: What Patients Should Know
Joint replacement surgery can help restore a person’s mobility and quality of life and is becoming increasingly common across the United States. In fact, it is estimated that each year, more than 750 million Americans have joint replacement surgery for hips, knees, shoulders, fingers, ankles and elbows. People considering surgery can find answers to many of their questions in an easy-to-read booklet from NIAMS called Joint Replacement Surgery: Information for Multicultural Communities.

NIH Conference Addresses Lactose Intolerance and Health
The National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy ShriverNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development convened a Consensus Development Conference in February 2010 to examine the latest research on lactose intolerance, strategies to manage the condition and the health outcomes of diets that exclude dairy foods.

Those most affected by lactose intolerance in the United States belong to minority groups, especially Asian, African American, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native and Pacific Islander communities.

The final panel statement aims to give health care providers, patients and the general public a responsible assessment of currently available data on lactose intolerance and health. Videocasts of each day of the conference (February 22, 23 and 24) are available online.

USA Science & Engineering Festival on the National Mall
The inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, the country’s first national science festival, will descend on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on October 23 to 24, 2010. The festival promises to be the ultimate multicultural, multigenerational and multidisciplinary celebration of science. The culmination will be a two-day Expo in the nation’s capital that will give more than 500 science and engineering organizations, including NIH, from all over the United States the opportunity to present hands-on, fun science activities to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. The event will be free and open to the public. For more information, visit usasciencefestival.org.

Moving Towards Personalized Pain Management
The NIH Pain Consortium held a symposium earlier this month entitled Moving Towards Personalized Pain Management, which included presentations and discussions on three topic areas: the development of tools for individualized pain management, emerging therapies and the translation of research in tailored pain management. A select group of highly talented junior investigators presented posters representing a broad spectrum of current pain research findings. The videocast is available online.

NIAMS Research Announcements
Development and Translation of Medical Technologies that Reduce Health Disparities (SBIR [R43/R44])
(RFA-EB-10-002)
Letters of Intent Receipt Dates: April 20, 2010, August 22, 2010
Application Receipt Dates: May 20, 2010, September 22, 2010

Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R01)
(PAR-10-136)
Letters of Intent Receipt Dates: Multiple dates, see announcement
Application Receipt Dates: Multiple dates, see announcement

Behavioral and Social Science Research on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities (R21)
(PAR-10-137)
Letters of Intent Receipt Dates: Multiple dates, see announcement
Application Receipt Dates: Multiple dates, see announcement

The following health observances take place in May. Check the NIAMS publications catalog for these and other resources related to the featured conditions.

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day (May 12) Fibromyalgia syndrome is a common and chronic disorder characterized by widespread pain, diffuse tenderness and a number of other symptoms. This booklet contains general information about fibromyalgia. It describes what fibromyalgia is, its causes and treatment options.
Lupus Awareness Month Lupus isn’t a simple disease with an easy answer. You can’t take a pill and make it go away. The Many Shades of Lupus booklet contains general information about lupus. It describes what lupus is, the different forms of lupus, its symptoms, causes, coping strategies, diagnosis and treatment options. It also discusses how lupus affects people of different races and ethnicities.
National Arthritis Awareness Month Many people start to feel pain and stiffness in their bodies over time. These people may have arthritis. There are different types of arthritis. In some diseases in which arthritis occurs, other organs' such as the eyes or skin, can also be affected. This booklet contains general information about arthritis. It describes what arthritis is, different forms of arthritis, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. It also presents ways to help prevent further damage to the joints, organs and skin.
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month (PDF – 4.88 MB) This Spanish/English fotonovela uses the story of a woman named Isabel to present common warning signs and symptoms of osteoporosis, including height loss, kyphosis and broken bones. The booklet also discusses risk factors, ways to prevent falls, tips for getting enough calcium and steps to better bone health.
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month In recent years, increasing numbers of people of all ages have been heeding the advice to get active for all of the health benefits exercise has to offer. But for some people particularly those who overdo or who don’t properly train or warm up these benefits can come at a price: sports injuries. The Sports Injuries booklet has useful information for athletes of all ages and levels, for people who exercise, as well as for health care professionals, coaches, and others who want to find out more about sports injuries.
Tuberous Sclerosis Awareness Month Tuberous sclerosis is a rare genetic disease that causes noncancerous tumors to grow in the brain and other organs. Symptoms vary depending on the location of the tumors.
NIH News in Health Read practical health information in NIH News in Health, which is reviewed by NIH’s medical experts and is based on research conducted either by NIH’s own scientists or by our grantees at universities and medical schools around the country. The April 2010 issue featured an article about the dilemma people with lactose intolerance face when it comes to getting enough calcium.

Summer is the height of tick season. A number of different ticks can transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease. While this disease has become more common, it is still difficult to diagnose because it may be mistaken for other ailments. Learn what you can do to protect yourself.

National Multicultural Outreach Initiative Up and Running
NIAMS is embarking on a National Multicultural Outreach Initiative to help address disparities in access to health information among multicultural communities. Through the Initiative, NIAMS will work with partners to develop and disseminate culturally and linguistically appropriate messages and materials in the areas of bones, joints, muscles and skin for the following populations:

African Americans
Hispanics/Latinos
Asian Americans
American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders

The Institute has convened advisory work groups for each of the populations to offer guidance in developing and disseminating messages and products. Many thanks to our partners for nominating experts for these work groups. NIAMS will hold a meeting for all work groups on June 16 to 17, 2010, in Rockville, Maryland, to begin plans for the initiative.

Photo of Mark Gourley, M.D.

News from the Community Health Center: Quality of Referrals Improving
Last year, the NIAMS Community Health Center (CHC) provided medical education to primary care providers in the Washington, DC, area. Dr. Mark Gourley, a rheumatology physician, and Ms. Heather Greysen, a nurse practitioner, taught 36 providers from clinics that refer patients to CHC. The providers received an overview of the clinic and a standardized referral sheet with guidelines for when to refer a patient and what information should be included in the referral. In addition, they received a 40-minute educational intervention about common rheumatic diseases.

The intervention proved successful in helping to improve the quality of the referrals to CHC. Following the intervention, 85 percent of the referrals were of good quality compared with 37 percent of referrals before the intervention. The quality of the referral was defined by the number of clinical data in the referral and included a progress note, lab results and x-rays, and whether the provider offered any direction or recommendations. Providers who did not receive the educational intervention sent referrals in which 72 percent were rated as poor quality while 28 percent were of good quality.

The educational sessions increased the providers' knowledge about how to better refer patients to the clinic and helped to open communication lines between the primary care providers and the clinic specialists. An improvement in the quality of referrals to CHC ultimately translates to better clinical care for the patients. Good quality referrals reduce long wait lists and allow patients to be placed on a treatment plan more quickly.

The NIAMS exhibit will be traveling to the following events:

American Academy of Physician Assistants
May 31 to June 2, 2010
Atlanta, GA

American College of Sports Medicine
June 2 to 5, 2010
Baltimore, MD

Embassy of Ecuador Community Health Fair
June 5, 2010
Washington, DC

Organization of Chinese Americans Convention
June 17 to 20, 2010
Houston, TX

Nurse Leaders in Native Care Conference
July 19 to 23, 2010
Washington, DC

See the complete health fairs and exhibits schedule.