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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Pediatric rheumatology is a small but critically underserved field, and workforce shortages are putting young patients at risk. At the AWIR annual conference, Dr. Mia Chandler called for better communication, anticipatory guidance, and collaboration between pediatric and adult rheumatologists. Without action, children with rheumatic diseases may face life-altering consequences — from missed diagnoses to derailed futures.
Pediatric rheumatology is a field punching above its weight — but it's stretched dangerously thin. At the Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR) annual conference, Dr. Mia Chandler of Wake Forest University School of Medicine sounded the alarm on workforce shortages, delayed diagnoses, and the outsized life disruptions that rheumatic and autoimmune diseases cause in children and adolescents.
Chandler emphasized that flares and new diagnoses during childhood don't just affect health — they ripple across a patient's entire life course. She shared the story of a college student who failed her first semester because no one warned her that her infusion medication would cause cognitive slowing for 1–2 days per treatment, costing her scholarships and potentially her engineering career. "Anticipatory guidance would have helped her make adjustments," Chandler noted.
Her call to action: adult rheumatologists must lean in — through virtual consults, eConsults, and philanthropic partnerships — to help bridge the gap.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: With too few pediatric rheumatologists to meet demand, children with chronic autoimmune diseases risk falling through the cracks at the most formative stages of their lives. Bridging the gap requires the entire rheumatology community to act — now.
