Today, I am posting my letter
to “Senior Specialist, Public Relations, American College of Rheumatology”. She
and I have corresponded in the past on this issue, and I was assured that the
ACR was not endorsing any diagnostic criteria now or in the future. Read on and
you will see why I felt a need to contact her once again.
Good morning Joyce.
I am writing you because in
December of 2014, you sent me a letter stating that the American College of
Rheumatology (ACR) was not going to endorse any fibromyalgia diagnostic
criteria. Today while researching for a freelance article, I stumbled upon the
website for ACR-endorsed Criteria for Rheumatic Diseases (1) demonstrating
that the ACR has endorsed the Preliminary Criteria, 2010, Wolfe F, et al. (2)
I am concerned, especially
when there are other criteria better befitting the patient, i.e. the
Alternative Criteria by Dr. Robert Bennett, et al. (3) Medscape (4) and
Network Rheumatology(5), and many others agree. However, there are
clinicians that have been led to believe Dr. Wolfe, et al. criteria are
approved, including the CDC (6). Dr. Wolfe also has a checklist on his website,
ACR FM 2010 diagnostic criteria questionnaire modified for direct patient
administration (7), which is misleading. And, in a Google search I find many
articles stating, “How to Use the New ACR Diagnostic Criteria”.
If the criteria are not
endorsed, then why was it published in a peer-reviewed journal with such a
title, Preliminary Proposed, and why is it on the ACR website, Endorsed
Criteria for Rheumatic Diseases? This is extremely important, because
clinicians who use these criteria believe it is approved by the ACR, and people
are being misdiagnosed. We are back to square one! It’s all in your head,
because of these criteria. The ACR needs to take a stance on this. There is
sufficient evidence to suggest there is an autonomic effect, loss of heart-rate
variability, and an upset in the sympathetic nervous system response in
fibromyalgia. There is much more, but suffice it to say, the ACR can search Pub
Med.
I appreciate your response to
my concerns and appreciate our previous correspondence. As a freelance writer
for online health organizations, an author, and advocate, it is important I
share accurate information. I am sure you understand.
Thank you in advance for your
kind consideration. Celeste Cooper, http://CelesteCooper.com
Resources:
(2) Dr. Wolfe, et al.criteria
(4) Fibromyalgia: NewCriteria Improve Diagnosis-Medscape
(6) CDC – Fibromyalgia
(7) Frederick Wolfe - ACR FM2010 diagnostic criteria questionnaire modified for direct patient
administration.
Following is the letter I
received from you in December, 2014:
…the ACR has chosen not to endorse newly developed or validated diagnostic
criteria now or in the future.
Other Reading:
- My correspondence with Dr. Frederick Wolfe. Concerns for the PPDC, DSM-5, and disregard for comorbid conditions in FM. Are we judged by the company we keep?
- The 2013 Alternative Criteria Dr. Robert Bennett, et al. – Interpretation for patients and providers. Also available on ProHealth
Posts
2 comments:
Stunned to read that ACR can forecast that they will not endorse validated diagnostic criteria in the future. Head in the sand much? To refuse to ever look at information developed in the future displays incredible ignorance.
…the ACR has chosen not to endorse newly developed or validated diagnostic criteria now or in the future.
My thinking is that they wish FM was not under the watch Belinda. We shall see. With the FM/a test now being covered by insurance, I feel, if embraced, we will see a change in research and bias. Showing immune component in a musculoskeletal disorder certainly does put it in rheumatology. Here is a link to their response. http://fmcfstriggerpoints.blogspot.com/2016/04/acr-responds-to-inquiry-on-fibromyalgia.html#.VwKX-qQrLIU
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