Beyond the Abstract: What Does It Take to Improve Access to Rheumatology Care?
What can we learn from ACR Convergence 2026 about the people, resources and systems needed to connect more people with the rheumatology care they need?
Nov. 6, 2026
For people living with arthritis, access to the right rheumatology care can be an important part of managing their health. But access can vary depending on where they live, the availability of specialists and finding providers who understand their individual needs.
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are critical for many rheumatic diseases to help prevent irreversible joint damage, organ complications and long-term disability. With nearly 60 million people in the U.S. living with rheumatic diseases, a strong rheumatology workforce is essential to meet growing demand and to reduce disparities in access to care.
Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScDAt ACR Convergence 2026, researchers present new work examining how the adult and pediatric rheumatology workforce can be expanded and strengthened. The research focuses on developing consensus metrics — scientifically agreed-upon measures — to help track progress over time. Titled “Consensus Metrics to Guide and Track Expansion and Enrichment of the Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Workforce: Results of a Scoping Review and Modified Delphi Process,” the study represents the first cycle of work supported through an Arthritis Foundation Community Health grant.
But what does this research mean for people with arthritis, and what will it take to build a workforce equipped to meet their needs? In this Q&A, lead author Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Arthritis Foundation Chief Mission and Strategy Officer Victoria Fung, MPH, explain the research and explore how a stronger, more inclusive rheumatology workforce could improve access to care.
1. For someone living with arthritis, what does the rheumatology workforce have to do with their ability to get the care they need?
Feldman: The rheumatology workforce is essential to ensure that people with arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions receive high-quality, timely patient-centered care. In addition to needing more adult and pediatric rheumatologists and advanced practice providers, particularly in under-resourced areas, we need workforce members who can bridge biomedical science expertise with an understanding of their patients’ lived experiences, culture, language and care goals.
Fung: A strong rheumatology workforce is essential to ensuring that people living with arthritis have timely access to expert care, effective treatments and ongoing support. As the population ages and the prevalence of arthritis continues to grow, a robust workforce can help address increasing patient demand and reduce long wait times and geographic disparities in access to care. Ultimately, investing in this workforce is an investment in earlier diagnosis, better health outcomes, greater health equity and improved quality of life.
2. What did this research set out to understand or change about how we think about the adult and pediatric rheumatology workforce?
Feldman: We first aimed to understand existing, evidence-based strategies across the U.S. and Canada-based medical literature that could be used to enrich and expand the rheumatology workforce. This led to a scoping literature review that then informed a set of candidate metrics that could be used to track workforce enrichment and expansion efforts. We convened a panel of 22 experts from across the country to develop consensus around a set of trackable, measurable, short- and long-term metrics to evaluate current and future rheumatology workforce initiatives.
3. The research focuses on developing “consensus metrics” to help guide and track workforce expansion and enrichment. What does that mean in plain language, and why is having better ways to measure the workforce important?
Feldman: Essentially, we are creating a system that will track progress in strengthening, expanding and retaining the rheumatology workforce. By adopting a data-driven approach, participating institutions and our team can track these changes over time, identify which initiatives are working and which are not, and develop new ways to support the workforce and improve patient access and care.
4. Beyond increasing the number of rheumatology providers, how important is it to build a workforce that understands the diverse experiences and needs of people living with arthritis?
Fung: Healthcare providers play a critical role in delivering equitable, compassionate and high-quality care. Every patient brings unique circumstances, including differences in culture, language, socioeconomic status, health literacy, physical abilities and lived experiences. Recognizing and addressing these differences helps ensure that care is accessible and responsive to individual needs.
As an organization deeply committed to inclusion and impact, the Arthritis Foundation recognizes that meeting patients’ diverse needs is not simply about providing the same care to everyone. It is about providing the right care, support and resources to each individual so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve the best possible health outcomes.
5. What could this work ultimately mean for people living with arthritis and the healthcare providers who care for them?
Feldman: We hope that this work helps contribute to a stronger, larger community of adult and pediatric rheumatology providers who are culturally informed and representative of all our patients affected by rheumatologic conditions. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate access to the highest-quality care for patients with arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions regardless of geography, background or financial circumstance.
6. What needs to happen next to strengthen the rheumatology workforce and improve access to care, and what role can organizations like the Arthritis Foundation play?
Feldman: The Arthritis Foundation can continue to play a key role advocating for the adoption of these metrics, helping with tracking systems and continuing the wonderful educational and advocacy efforts it has built to support both providers and patients.
For people living with arthritis, access to the right rheumatology care can be an important part of managing their health. But access can vary depending on where they live, the availability of specialists and finding providers who understand their individual needs.
Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are critical for many rheumatic diseases to help prevent irreversible joint damage, organ complications and long-term disability. With nearly 60 million people in the U.S. living with rheumatic diseases, a strong rheumatology workforce is essential to meet growing demand and to reduce disparities in access to care.
Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScDAt ACR Convergence 2026, researchers present new work examining how the adult and pediatric rheumatology workforce can be expanded and strengthened. The research focuses on developing consensus metrics — scientifically agreed-upon measures — to help track progress over time. Titled “Consensus Metrics to Guide and Track Expansion and Enrichment of the Adult and Pediatric Rheumatology Workforce: Results of a Scoping Review and Modified Delphi Process,” the study represents the first cycle of work supported through an Arthritis Foundation Community Health grant.
But what does this research mean for people with arthritis, and what will it take to build a workforce equipped to meet their needs? In this Q&A, lead author Candace Feldman, MD, MPH, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Arthritis Foundation Chief Mission and Strategy Officer Victoria Fung, MPH, explain the research and explore how a stronger, more inclusive rheumatology workforce could improve access to care.
1. For someone living with arthritis, what does the rheumatology workforce have to do with their ability to get the care they need?
Feldman: The rheumatology workforce is essential to ensure that people with arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions receive high-quality, timely patient-centered care. In addition to needing more adult and pediatric rheumatologists and advanced practice providers, particularly in under-resourced areas, we need workforce members who can bridge biomedical science expertise with an understanding of their patients’ lived experiences, culture, language and care goals.
Fung: A strong rheumatology workforce is essential to ensuring that people living with arthritis have timely access to expert care, effective treatments and ongoing support. As the population ages and the prevalence of arthritis continues to grow, a robust workforce can help address increasing patient demand and reduce long wait times and geographic disparities in access to care. Ultimately, investing in this workforce is an investment in earlier diagnosis, better health outcomes, greater health equity and improved quality of life.
2. What did this research set out to understand or change about how we think about the adult and pediatric rheumatology workforce?
Feldman: We first aimed to understand existing, evidence-based strategies across the U.S. and Canada-based medical literature that could be used to enrich and expand the rheumatology workforce. This led to a scoping literature review that then informed a set of candidate metrics that could be used to track workforce enrichment and expansion efforts. We convened a panel of 22 experts from across the country to develop consensus around a set of trackable, measurable, short- and long-term metrics to evaluate current and future rheumatology workforce initiatives.
3. The research focuses on developing “consensus metrics” to help guide and track workforce expansion and enrichment. What does that mean in plain language, and why is having better ways to measure the workforce important?
Feldman: Essentially, we are creating a system that will track progress in strengthening, expanding and retaining the rheumatology workforce. By adopting a data-driven approach, participating institutions and our team can track these changes over time, identify which initiatives are working and which are not, and develop new ways to support the workforce and improve patient access and care.
4. Beyond increasing the number of rheumatology providers, how important is it to build a workforce that understands the diverse experiences and needs of people living with arthritis?
Fung: Healthcare providers play a critical role in delivering equitable, compassionate and high-quality care. Every patient brings unique circumstances, including differences in culture, language, socioeconomic status, health literacy, physical abilities and lived experiences. Recognizing and addressing these differences helps ensure that care is accessible and responsive to individual needs.
As an organization deeply committed to inclusion and impact, the Arthritis Foundation recognizes that meeting patients’ diverse needs is not simply about providing the same care to everyone. It is about providing the right care, support and resources to each individual so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve the best possible health outcomes.
5. What could this work ultimately mean for people living with arthritis and the healthcare providers who care for them?
Feldman: We hope that this work helps contribute to a stronger, larger community of adult and pediatric rheumatology providers who are culturally informed and representative of all our patients affected by rheumatologic conditions. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate access to the highest-quality care for patients with arthritis and other rheumatologic conditions regardless of geography, background or financial circumstance.
6. What needs to happen next to strengthen the rheumatology workforce and improve access to care, and what role can organizations like the Arthritis Foundation play?
Feldman: The Arthritis Foundation can continue to play a key role advocating for the adoption of these metrics, helping with tracking systems and continuing the wonderful educational and advocacy efforts it has built to support both providers and patients.
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