Healthcare is in a state of flux. As extraordinary measures are taken to stem the spread of the coronavirus, regular medical care—from routine checkups and screenings to in-office treatments and procedures—has been subject to significant disruptions and challenges. Social distancing requirements of the 

 pandemic have created new limitations on in-person physician visits. 

Office closures and safety concerns have resulted in the delay or cancelation of medical appointments for some patients. Compounding matters is the dynamic and uncertain nature of the pandemic. The issues that patients and physicians are confronting today have evolved since the COVID-19 shutdowns began in March—and further change is undoubtedly on the horizon.

 patients and their eye care professionals, the pandemic has led to an array of stressors, given the progressive but indolent nature of a disease that can lead to blindness and requires close ongoing monitoring and treatment. The current health environment is particularly worrisome for elderly patients because they are most at risk for vision loss from glaucoma and are also among the highest risk groups for COVID-19 mortality.

To better understand the concerns and experiences of glaucoma patients during the pandemic, the Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF) commissioned an online survey in May 2020. The aim was to gain valuable, real-time patient input that can help eye care professionals better address patients’ emotional needs as they adapt to the new, and continually changing, care requirements of COVID-19. 

The GRF survey, which was supported by Aerie Pharmaceuticals, assessed patients’ confidence in their disease management during the pandemic; specific disease management concerns; patients’ experience with telemedicine; and patients’ comfort in returning to eye professionals’ offices. The survey drew a national response, with 1051 adult glaucoma patients from 49 states participating in the questionnaire.

The survey findings bring to light several key considerations for ophthalmology practices evolving glaucoma care in the COVID-19 environment.

Notably, the survey found that more than half of respondents (53%) had to delay and/or cancel an eye care appointment during the first months of the pandemic. These disruptions seem to have significantly impacted patients’ confidence in their disease management, with approximately one-third (36%) of glaucoma patients surveyed saying they were not confident that their disease was well-managed. Those who had the lowest confidence levels in their glaucoma management were 30% more likely to have had an eye care appointment delayed or canceled.

This feedback highlights the central role of communication in enhancing glaucoma care and the importance of nurturing the physician-patient relationship during the pandemic. With physician offices open again, personal and direct doctor-patient communication is paramount to helping patients understand their unique level of risk and rebuild confidence in their disease management. 

Without scaring patients, it’s important that they understand the consequences of delaying an office visit and the real risk it may have for further, even permanent, vision loss.

At my practice in San Francisco, we went through every patient record that had an appointment during the early phase of the pandemic and conducted a risk assessment. We then communicated with each patient to make them aware of their particular situation and the risk of not coming in to be evaluated when our office reopened.

The first step was to speak with our staff about our responsibility to be safe, not just in the office, but also outside of work, with specifics about how to minimize risk. I sought their input and we developed together an action plan with new office protocols.

We also invested in an expansion of our office team. With this increased staff, we are able to directly answer more patient calls and engage in longer, in-depth conversations. In addition, we have placed a greeter at our main entrance who screens patients, which includes basic health questions, a temperature check, and a check for an appropriate mask. 

After completing these safety protocols, the greeter asks patients to use hand sanitizer prior to entering the clinic. These new measures have played a valuable role in boosting our patients’ confidence in their disease management during the pandemic.

The “COVID-19 Office” and Telemedicine

The survey also reveals that glaucoma patients place high value on being able to see their physician in person. Six in 10 (63%) respondents said they are comfortable returning to their eye doctors’ offices as long as social distancing measures, such as face masks and less crowded waiting rooms, are implemented. This preference for in-person physician visits, coupled with technology challenges, make patients largely uninterested in telemedicine. A vast majority (87%) of glaucoma patients surveyed said they would rather wait six weeks for an in-person office visit than have a telemedicine visit in two weeks.

While telemedicine has been a valuable tool in other medical specialties during the pandemic, it has significant limitations for standard diagnostic procedures in glaucoma care. Since intraocular pressure (IOP) checks, visual field evaluation, and other tests cannot be easily conducted virtually, practitioners may lose considerable clinical information by trying to manage glaucoma via telemedicine.

During these unprecedented times, the safety and well-being of patients is the principal concern of all eye care professionals. It is also important to consider the needs of your staff as well. At my center, we have modified several standard procedures that not only have enhanced patient safety during COVID-19 but have also made us operate more efficiently and safely as an eye care practice. 

I have found that when members of my office team feel safe at work, their calmness and confidence extend to the patient-provider relationship, helping patients feel more comfortable about the visit. By fostering a caring and professional approach to glaucoma care in the midst of uncertainty, we can all navigate the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to protect the vision of our patients.

Andrew Iwach, MD, is Executive Director of the Glaucoma Center of San Francisco, Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco, and a faculty instructor at the California Pacific Medical Center Department of Ophthalmology. 

The article reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of the publication.

A new survey assessed patients’ confidence in their disease management during the pandemic, specific disease management concerns, and experiences with telemedicine.

Managing Glaucoma During COVID-19: Patients Point the Way to Improved Care

Andrew Iwach, MD

Christopher Parker, DO

Dr. Karp is the 84th president of the American College of Rheumatology. He is chief of the Rheumatic Diseases Division at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, a role he has held for the past 18 years.

For the past 15 years, Dr. Karp’s research has focused on systemic lupus erythe­matosus, including the of use of genomics and proteomics to help understand disease progression. He joined the ACR during his fellowship and has been involved as a volunteer for the past 17 years, serving in various committee roles, leading the Rheumatology Research Foundation and serving on the ACR Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.

David R. Karp, MD, PhD

 Assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt Health

Silent Weight of Psoriasis: Addressing Depression, Anxiety, Stigma in Care

In recognition of Psoriasis Awareness Month this August, 

 spoke with assistant professor of dermatology Eva Parker, MD, of Vanderbilt Health, pediatric dermatologist Carla Torres-Zegarra, MD, of Children’s Hospital Colorado, psychiatry-certified physician associate Tess Quesenberry, PA-C, CAQ-Psy, from Alpha Psychiatric Services, and several patients with 

Dermatologists often recognize psoriasis as merely a skin condition, marked by redness, scaling, and flare-ups. However, for the 8 million Americans living with it, the challenges stretch far beyond redness, scaling, and flare-ups.¹ What’s less visible—and often more difficult—is the emotional toll.

“The plaques of psoriasis are often in visible locations, knees, elbows. It can affect the hands. It can affect the face, the ears, the scalp, and extend onto the neck. And so, it can be hard for individuals with psoriasis who have poorly controlled disease to hide their skin lesions, and in public, that can be embarrassing. People stare,” Parker told 

. “There's often an assumption that if you have something on your skin, it's contagious. All of this can contribute to low self-esteem in our psoriasis patients, and that in turn, contributes to things like depression and anxiety.”

Patients with psoriasis are 1.5 times more likely to develop depression than the general population, and anxiety symptoms affect up to half of those diagnosed.² Research suggests that the inflammation in psoriasis, involving TH17 cells in the brain, may contribute to depressive symptoms.³

Feelings of self-consciousness and fear of stigma can leave patients isolated, self-conscious, or misunderstood. These psychosocial challenges ripple outward, affecting relationships, work, and quality of life.

Routine dermatology visits are an opportunity to do more than check plaques—they’re a chance to ask about mood, stress, and coping. Even a quick, structured screening can uncover depression or anxiety that might otherwise go unnoticed, allowing clinicians to intervene earlier with appropriate support.

Studies have also shown that personality traits or psychiatric disorders can influence how patients perceive their skin disease. For instance, patients with OCD may be more prone to skin picking, and those with borderline personality disorder may be more prone to self-harming behaviors.³

Psoriasis begins on the skin, but its impact runs much deeper. By addressing both the visible and invisible aspects of the disease, clinicians can help patients move closer to true healing—inside and out.

“As dermatologists, we get desensitized to skin disease because we see skin disease all day, and it is something that we see widespread disease, we see severe presentation, so it may not impact us in the same way as it impacts patients,” Parker said. “It's easy to forget that the disease itself is very stigmatizing, and it can be very alienating for patients…the number one thing we can do in treating our patients with psoriasis is to see them, to ask how their disease impacts them as an individual, and to make every effort we can to help them navigate what resources are available, especially if there's concomitant mental health illness.”

Brief descriptions of the speakers featured in this project are provided below:

 Psychiatric certified physician associate from Alpha Psychiatric Services

 Pediatric Dermatologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Associate Professor of Dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Host of Pediatrias en Línea, the first podcast for Spanish speaking providers produced by Children's Hospital Colorado.

Relevant disclosures include UCB, Inc for Parker and Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, ITI, Inc, ABBVIE, Neurocrine Biosciences, Alkermes, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Almatica Pharma, and Teva Pharmaceuticals for Quesenberry. Torres-Zegarra has no relevant reported disclosures.

Hedemann TL, Liu X, Kang CN, Husain MI. Associations between psoriasis and mental illness: an update for clinicians. 

. 2022;75:30-37. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2022.01.006

National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis Statistics. www.psoriasis.org. Published December 21, 2022. 

https://www.psoriasis.org/psoriasis-statistics/

Jafferany M. Special Report: Psychodermatology: Bridging Dermatology and Psychiatry. 

. 2025;60(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.03.3.2

Up to half of psoriasis patients report significant psychiatric symptoms, highlighting the importance of routine screening in practice.

Eva Parker, MD

Laura Korb Ferris, MD, PhD, is a Clayton E. Wheeler, Jr. Distinguished Professor as well as chair of the UNC Department of Dermatology.

The Medical Sisterhood: A Woman’s Path to Leadership in Medicine, with Laura Ferris, MD, PhD

In this episode of The Medical Sisterhood, host Mona Shahriari, MD, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University, speaks with Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD, a Clayton E. Wheeler, Jr. Distinguished Professor and chair of the University of North Carolina Department of Dermatology, about her unexpected path to departmental leadership, the lessons she has learned in her first year as chair, and her advice for women physicians navigating academic medicine.

Ferris begins by reflecting on her career evolution. Initially envisioning herself as a physician-scientist following a PhD in immunology, she quickly realized that basic science research’s high rate of failure did not provide the daily sense of accomplishment she sought. Her passion for immunology and patient impact drew her to 

 during the pivotal era of biologic drug development. Over time, she transitioned into a clinician and clinical trialist, which opened doors to leadership. Though Ferris once stated she “never wanted to be a chair,” her growing interest in shaping departmental culture and operations ultimately led her to embrace the challenge at UNC.

One of her early “aha” moments as chair, Ferris shares, was realizing that her voice now carried new weight—her suggestions could spark tangible institutional change. She has focused heavily on improving clinical operations to enhance both patient care and provider well-being, emphasizing that better systems can reduce burnout. While the first ten months have brought curveballs—including changes in NIH funding priorities, shifting reimbursement models in a rural safety-net hospital, and access barriers for underserved patients—Ferris stresses the importance of adaptability and creative problem-solving in leadership.

Ferris discusses the art of managing faculty expectations, particularly when resources are limited. Listening tours, she notes, are invaluable for understanding what motivates individuals across career stages. While she cannot fulfill every request, she strives to offer partial solutions, flexibility, and autonomy—factors that often matter more than salary.

On advancing women in medicine, Ferris highlights her commitment to fairness and equity, often intervening behind the scenes to ensure opportunities and compensation are justly distributed. She underscores the importance of standardized policies to prevent inequities from favoring only the most vocal or “squeaky wheel” faculty. Mentorship, she adds, is essential in helping women recognize their value and advocate for themselves.

A central theme of the conversation is learning to ask—and to tolerate rejection. Ferris urges women to push past the discomfort of advocating for authorship, leadership roles, or trial involvement, reminding listeners that “the worst someone can say is no.” She also shares her decision-making framework, the “Three F’s” (fortune, fame, fun)—with some colleagues adding a fourth, family—which guides her in discerning which opportunities to accept or decline. Early in one’s career, she advises, saying “yes” often builds experience, but as responsibilities grow, strategic “no’s” become equally powerful.

Ferris closes with a message of empowerment: physicians, particularly women, are capable of more than they often believe. Balancing family, leadership, and academia is possible, and by embracing opportunities, advocating for fairness, and modeling resilience, women leaders elevate not only themselves but the entire field.

Editor’s note: This episode summary was edited with the help of artificial intelligence tools.

Want to join The Medical Sisterhood community? Click here to join our LinkedIn Group!

Laura Ferris, MD, PhD, reflects on her unexpected path to department chair as well as the lessons of her journey as a leader in academic medicine.

Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD

The panelists stress the significance of a comprehensive approach to patient care.

Cardiometabolic Medicine: Seeing the Patient as a Whole

The panelists stress the significance of a comprehensive approach to patient care, acknowledging the interconnected nature of cardiovascular, kidney, endocrine, and obesity-related benefits, and highlighting that addressing secondary diseases can minimize overall disease risk in patients.

Michael Blaha, MD

Experts discuss strategies for making dry eye care an appealing practice option for optometry students and supporting their success in this specialized field.

Fostering Next-Generation Expertise in Dry Eye Treatment

Fostering Next-Generation Expertise in Dry Eye

Mile Brujic, OD

Using Biomarkers to Monitor ATTR-CM

Summary for Physicians: Long-Term Monitoring in ATTR-CM and Biomarkers Used

 (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy) involves regular clinical assessments, imaging studies, and biomarker evaluations to track disease progression and manage complications. Key aspects of monitoring include:

Regular assessment of cardiac symptoms such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and functional status

Monitoring for signs of organ involvement beyond the heart, as ATTR-CM can affect other organs, such as the liver and nervous system

 to assess left ventricular function and wall thickness

 to evaluate myocardial involvement and amyloid deposits

 to detect amyloid deposition in the heart

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP):

 A marker for heart failure, often elevated in ATTR-CM

 Can indicate myocardial injury or stress, which may be elevated in patients with ATTR-CM

 Helpful in distinguishing ATTR-CM from other forms of amyloidosis, such as light chain amyloidosis

 Can be elevated in systemic inflammation associated with amyloidosis

TTR genetic testing and serum TTR concentration

 may help to confirm the diagnosis and assess familial risk.

, including exercise tolerance and quality of life (using tools such as the 6-minute walk test and patient-reported outcome measures).

Monitoring these biomarkers, alongside clinical and imaging evaluations, helps physicians track the progression of ATTR-CM, adjust therapies, and intervene early in cases of disease progression or complications. Regular follow-up is essential for optimizing management and improving patient outcomes.

Panelists discuss how long-term monitoring in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) involves regular clinical assessments, imaging studies, and biomarker evaluations—such as NT-proBNP, troponin, and TTR testing—to track disease progression, manage complications, and optimize patient outcomes.

Omar F. Abou Ezzeddine, MD, CM, MS, FACC, FHFSA

Rajiv Agarwal, MD, MS, is a Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and VA Medical Centre in Indianaoplis.

Counting down the biggest news from major medical meetings, it's the HCPLive Five!

HCPLive Five at European Renal Association (ERA) Congress 2025

European Renal Association (ERA) Congress

 is a medical conference bringing together world-renowned experts, researchers, and practitioners in nephrology. ERA Congress 2025 was hosted in Vienna, Austria, and saw more than 10,000 participants from  91 countries around the world, with a record 2835 abstract submissions. This year’s conference was centered around the theme “Game Changers in Nephrology” with the slogan “Beyond Nephrology,” boasting a comprehensive and innovative program exploring the latest advancements and transformative ideas in nephrology.

As part of HCPLive’s on-site coverage, the editorial team conducted expert interviews and reported on timely topics across therapeutic advances, pipeline updates, new renal clinical trial data, and more. In this edition of the HCPLive Five, the team highlights key conversations on pegcetacoplan in 

 and idiopathic immune-complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN), a trio of 

 drugs in clinical development, and the potential benefits of simultaneous initiation of finerenone (Kerendia) and empagliflozin (Jardiance) in patients with 

Pegcetacoplan Sustains Proteinuria Reductions in C3G, IC-MPGN at 52 Weeks

Extended data from the phase 3 VALIANT trial were presented at ERA 2025 and support the sustained efficacy and safety of pegcetacoplan (Empaveli) in patients with C3G or IC-MPGN, including adolescents and adults with native or transplanted kidneys. The 52-week results show continued proteinuria reduction and eGFR stabilization in both treatment-naïve and crossover groups, reinforcing 26-week data presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 2024 Scientific Sessions.

In this on-site interview at the meeting, Fadi Fakhouri, MD, PhD, co-lead principal investigator for the VALIANT study and a professor of nephrology at CHUV Lausanne, Switzerland, describes pegcetacoplan’s long-term potential in C3G and IC-MPGN and how the data presented at ERA could shift treatment strategies.

Understanding Zigakibart's Potential in IgA Nephropathy, with Jonathan Barratt, MD, PhD

100-week data from the phase 1/2 ADU-CL-19 trial presented at ERA suggest zigakibart, an APRIL inhibitor under development by Novartis, offers durable reductions in proteinuria and maintains a favorable safety profile in patients with IgAN. In the study, patients experienced a mean 60% reduction in proteinuria from baseline, with 55% achieving proteinuria below 500 mg and 31% below 300 mg, as described by Jonathan Barratt, MD, PhD, the Mayer Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Leicester, in this interview. Additionally, serum IgA and pathogenic Gd-IgA1 levels dropped by 74%, building on earlier 52-week data showing reductions in IgA, IgM, and IgG of 67%, 78%, and 35%, respectively.

Kidney Compass: CONFIDENCE Trial at ERA 2025, with Rajiv Agarwal, MD, MS

Simultaneous initiation of finerenone (Kerendia) and empagliflozin (Jardiance) in patients with CKD and type 2 diabetes was well-tolerated and resulted in significantly greater reductions in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) than either agent alone, according to results from the CONFIDENCE trial. During ERA, Kidney Compass host Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, a senior research fellow with the George Institute for Global Health and the director of the Kidney Trials Unit with Royal North Shore Hospital, held a discussion with trial investigators Rajiv Agarwal, MD, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University School of Medicine, about the study results and what they mean for CKD management landscape in real-world settings.

Phase 3 ORIGIN Sets Stage for Atacicept in IgA Nephropathy, with Richard Lafayette, MD

Just days before the ERA 2025, the nephrology community welcomed and celebrated new positive data for atacicept in IgAN in the form of topline results from the phase 3 ORIGIN trial. Announced by Vera Therapeutics on June 02, 2025, the data indicate the trial met its primary endpoint of reduction in proteinuria at week 36, with the atacicept group achieving a 46% reduction from baseline and a statistically significant 42% reduction compared to placebo at week 36.

’s coverage of ERA, we sat down with Lafayette to discuss how this latest data adds to our understanding of atacicept and its potential role in the management of IgAN if it were to receive FDA approval.

Kidney Compass: Sibeprenlimab and the VISIONARY Trial, with Vlado Perkovic, MBBS, PhD, at ERA 2025

, hosts Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PHD, and Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, are joined by Vlado Perkovic, MBBS, PhD, dean and scientia professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney, as he dives into one of the meeting’s most anticipated releases—

. Less than 2 weeks prior to the presentation, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. announced the US Food and Drug Administration had granted priority review for their BLA and the application has been given a target action date of November 28, 2025.

These 5 represent only some of the data the 

 team covered at this year's meeting! Check out more KOL insight and our full conference coverage on our 

From new data for potential IgAN treatments to the use of combination initiation therapy for type 2 diabetes and CKD, here are 5 key updates from the annual meeting.

Rajiv Agarwal, MD, MS

Geoffrey Grammer, MD closes this series highlighting the administration options of esketamine, its safety profile, and the importance of monitoring patients using this treatment.

Authors