October 27, 2025
2 minutes reading
I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Advances in Rheumatology and Technologies Symposium (ARTS), held in Chicago on September 5 and 6. Now in its second year, this innovative symposium is the brainchild of Alvin F. Wells, MD, PhD, FACR, FACP, And Orrin Troum, MD, two rheumatologists known for their leadership in education and use of cutting-edge tools.
What makes ARTS unique is the deliberate blending of two domains: the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases, and the rapidly growing role of technology, especially artificial intelligence. Sessions ranged from discussions on ambient listening and automated documentation to applications of AI in new patient triage, point-of-care diagnostics, health monitoring and more.
The exhibition hall reflected the same energy, featuring not only traditional industry partners but also technology providers rarely seen at medical meetings, giving attendees the opportunity for direct, hands-on interaction.
Dr. Wells opened the meeting with a plenary lecture outlining both the current landscape and the near-term future of AI in rheumatology. Drawing on his own experience with diagnostics, documentation, point-of-care tools, in-office ultrasound, and even billing, he offered a compelling take on how AI is already reshaping practice and how its influence will only grow.
I was fortunate to participate in a lively and engaging session with Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, And Michael Putman, MD, MSci, both experts in vasculitis. Together we explored how AI is beginning to inform the diagnosis and treatment of complex, often rare conditions – exactly the kinds of cases that rheumatologists encounter more often than most other specialists.
We have highlighted that platforms such as OpenEvidence, ChatGPT and other major language models have clear potential in augmenting complex medical decision making.
At the same time, we unanimously agreed that we are “at the beginning of the beginning” in understanding how to integrate these platforms responsibly.
A recurring theme was the need to ‘keep people informed’. As powerful as AI can be, the physician remains the final arbiter of crucial clinical decisions. We reminded ourselves that, in the search for the perfect therapy, sometimes the best and most appropriate intervention is no therapy at all.
Congratulations again to Dr. Wells and Dr. Troum for their vision in launching ARTS. This symposium fills an important gap by advancing both our declarative knowledge of AI and our procedural skills in using it. I hope it continues to evolve and help shape the way rheumatologists integrate these transformative technologies to serve our patients.
This is my opinion – what’s yours? Please share your thoughts with me at [email protected] or at [email protected].
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- Leonard H. Calabrese, DO, is the chief medical editor, Healio Rheumatology, and professor of medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, and RJ Fasenmyer chair of clinical immunology at the Cleveland Clinic.
Sources/Disclosures
Disclosures: Calabrese reports that he is a medical advisor for OpenEvidence, as well as professional relationships with AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galvani, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Regeneron, Sanofi and UCB.
