[The potential of medical comics in rheumatology-Results of a standardized survey at the German Rheumatology Congress 2024].

Background: Comics are increasingly being discussed as an innovative means of communication in healthcare. In rheumatology there has so far been a lack of studies on the acceptance and potential use of medical comics.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of this study was to determine the acceptance of medical comics among rheumatologists and to evaluate their potential for use in clinical practice.

Digital empowerment on hold: DiGA adoption gaps-a German national cross-sectional patient survey study.

Digital health applications (DiGAs), prescribable and reimbursed in Germany since 2020, have the potential to enhance patient self-management. This study aimed to assess rheumatology patients' awareness, willingness to use, suitability, and actual adoption of DiGAs. Between February 17 and April 8, 2025, adult patients attending seven German rheumatology outpatient clinics completed an electronic survey.

Acceptance and perceived usefulness of digital health services in the management of chronic urticaria: a survey of patients and physicians.

Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a complex and unpredictable skin condition that significantly affects patients’ quality of life. As the healthcare landscape increasingly integrates digital health technologies, understanding their perceived usefulness in CU management from both patient and physician perspectives is crucial.

Objective: This study investigates the acceptance, perceived usefulness, and potential barriers to using digital health services, such as medical apps and video consultations, among patients with CU and their healthcare providers.

Improving preventive health in inflammatory rheumatic diseases: A randomized controlled trial of an educational video intervention.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an educational video on adherence to preventive health measures in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Methods: The KOMO-R study was a prospective, six-month, single-center, randomized controlled trial. Participants received personalized to-do lists with up to 13 tasks based on local preventive health guidelines.

Social media in myositis care - an exploratory mixed-methods study among myositis patients (SociMyo).

Myositis is a rare autoimmune disease primarily affecting muscles, with potential involvement of the skin, heart, and lungs. Patients often experience delays in diagnosis, lack of adequate information, and limited support for disease management. Social media has emerged as a valuable tool to address these gaps by facilitating information exchange, peer support, and community building.

Potentials and barriers of digital patient education in rheumatic disease management: an exploratory qualitative interview study.

Patient education (PE) is essential, however hindered by the limited time of rheumatology healthcare professionals. Digital patient education (DPE) promises to bridge this care gap. This study explores the potential and challenges of DPE in rheumatology.

Large language models for dermatological image interpretation - a comparative study.

Objectives: Interpreting skin findings can be challenging for both laypersons and clinicians. Large language models (LLMs) offer accessible decision support, yet their diagnostic capabilities for dermatological images remain underexplored. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of LLMs based on image interpretation of common dermatological diseases.

Rheumatic? A diagnostic decision support tool for individuals suspecting rheumatic diseases: Mixed-methods usability and acceptability study.

Background: The early diagnosis of inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) is of paramount importance in order to prevent irreversible damage to joints and to optimize treatment outcomes. Nevertheless, conventional care pathways frequently entail diagnostic delays spanning several months. Symptom checkers (SCs) have the potential to provide a solution by offering validated symptom assessments, improving triage systems and expediting diagnostic evaluations.

[Potential applications of large language models in trauma surgery : Opportunities, risks and perspectives].

The integration of large language models (LLM) into the care of trauma surgery patients offers an exciting opportunity with immense potential to enhance the efficiency and quality of care. The LLM can serve as supportive tools for diagnosis, decision making and patient communication by efficiently providing medical knowledge and generating personalized treatment recommendations; however, there are also substantial challenges that must be addressed. The lack of transparency in the decision-making processes of LLM as well as currently unresolved legal and ethical issues, necessitate careful implementation and examination by medical professionals to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these technologies.

Toward digitally supported self-assessment of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Background: Manual muscle testing (MMT8), the current gold standard for assessing muscle function in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM), has notable limitations. This study had three aims (1) to compare MMT8 with inertial sensor-based gait analysis, (2) to evaluate patient-performed functional tests guided by shared decision-making (SDM), and (3) to investigate adherence to electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs).

Methods: Gold standard muscle function assessment (MMT8) was performed at baseline (T0) and three months (T1).

Between uncertainty and destiny: the patient journey in axial spondyloarthritis care from the perspectives of patients and their relatives.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease primarily affecting the sacroiliac joints and spine, leading to chronic pain, fatigue, and reduced mobility. The diagnostic delay for axSpA is often long, causing significant physical, psychological, and social burdens for patients and their relatives. This study aims to explore the patient journey of individuals with axSpA and their relatives within the German healthcare system, identifying key challenges and unmet needs from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment.

Early detection of rheumatoid arthritis through patient empowerment by tailored digital monitoring and education: a feasibility study.

Patients at risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) describe fluctuating and nonspecific symptoms, making it difficult to quantify symptom burden and recognize RA progression. This study aimed to assess feasibility and diagnostic value of a multimodal digital self-monitoring program in preclinical RA. This prospective cohort study included individuals at-risk for RA, who first watched self-produced educational videos about (preclinical) RA and joint self-examination techniques and then started the REMOTRA symptom monitoring.

Exploring CAR T-Cell Dynamics: Balancing Potent Cytotoxicity and Controlled Inflammation in CAR T-Cells Derived from Systemic Sclerosis and Myositis Patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) are autoimmune diseases managed with long-term immunosuppressive therapies. Hu19-CD828Z, a fully human anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) with a CD28 costimulatory domain, is engineered to potently deplete B-cells. In this study, we manufactured Hu19-CD828Z CAR T-cells from peripheral blood of SLE, IIM, and SSc patients and healthy donors (HDs).

Real-World-Evidence of Digital Health Applications (DiGAs) in Rheumatology: Insights from the DiGAReal Registry.

Introduction: Prescribable digital health applications (DiGAs) present scalable solutions to improve patient self-management in rheumatology, however real-world evidence is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effectiveness, usage, and usability of DiGAs prescribed by rheumatologists, as well as patient satisfaction.

Methods: The DiGAReal registry includes adult patients with rheumatic conditions who received a DiGA prescription.

Digital Transformation of Rheumatology Care in Germany: Cross-Sectional National Survey.

Background: In recent years, health care has undergone a rapid and unprecedented digital transformation. In many fields of specialty care, such as rheumatology, this shift is driven by the growing number of patients and limited resources, leading to increased use of digital health technologies (DHTs) to maintain high-quality clinical care. Previous studies examined user acceptance of individual DHTs in rheumatology, such as telemedicine, video consultations, and mHealth.

German Version of the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire and Derived Short Questionnaires for Usability and Perceived Usefulness in Health Care Assessment in Telehealth and Digital Therapeutics: Instrument Validation Study.

Background: The exponential growth of telehealth is revolutionizing health care delivery, but its evaluation has not matched the pace of its uptake. Various forms of assessment, from single-item to more extensive questionnaires, have been used to assess telehealth and digital therapeutics and their usability. The most frequently used questionnaire is the "Telehealth Usability Questionnaire" (TUQ).

Artificial intelligence in rheumatology: status quo and quo vadis-results of a national survey among German rheumatologists.

Background: The development and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) is remarkable. Its application in all medical disciplines, including rheumatology, is attracting attention. To what extent AI is already used in clinical routine in rheumatology is unknown.

[Measurement of disease-related knowledge of patients with axial spondyloarthritis-Development and application of the G-ASKQ7 questionnaire].

Background And Objective: Patient education is an integral component of the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, the validated tools currently available for assessing disease-related knowledge are outdated and, in the case of axSpA, only available in English. The aims of this work were therefore (1) to develop a German-language tool for assessing disease-specific knowledge among axSpA patients and (2) to assess this tool in a pilot study.

Adoption and perception of prescribable digital health applications (DiGA) and the advancing digitalization among German internal medicine physicians: a cross-sectional survey study.

Background: Therapeutic digital health applications (DiGAs) are expected to significantly enhance access to evidence-based care. Since 2020, German physicians and psychotherapists have been able to prescribe approved DiGAs, which are reimbursed by statutory health insurance. This study investigates the usage, knowledge and perception of DiGAs as well as the growing digitalization among internal medicine physicians in Germany.