Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

Contributing Writer https://www.rheumatologyadvisor.com

Batya Swift Yasgur MA, LSW, is a freelance medical writer who writes news, features, CME materials, and books for a variety of venues and target audiences, including healthcare professionals and consumers. She has a passion for human rights activism and is the author of Behind the Burqa (John Wiley, 2002), a memoir of 2 Afghan sisters who escaped Afghanistan. In addition, she holds the 1995 Robert L. Fish Award for Best First Published Mystery Story. Her fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and several other publications. Beyond her desire to contribute to people's health and wellbeing through her writing, Batya offers emotional/spiritual support to clients in her Teaneck, New Jersey-based counseling practice to facilitate their journeys toward healing.

All articles by Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

Patients suffering from chronic pain associated with arthritis may experience depression if their quality of function is limited. Some psychologists or counselors are specially trained to work with the emotional side of chronic health problems like arthritis and can help patients manage their stress levels. Encourage these patients to talk about their pain with friends and family.

Practice Management

Addressing Patient Emotions: Communication Style May Impact Visit Length

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

March 22, 2022

Visits were shorter when the clinician’s responses explicitly focused on the patient’s affect.

General Medicine

Legal and Ethical Approaches to Patients’ Request for an Emotional Support Animal

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

December 20, 2021

Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are increasingly being asked to write letters certifying patients’ and clients’ animals as emotional support animals.

Practice Management

Medical Jargon Frequently Used in Patient Communications

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

November 8, 2021

A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Central Florida in Orlando listened to audio recordings of patient encounters and found that less than half of all jargon terms were explained.

Practice Management

Calls for More Support as Physicians Face Online Harassment

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

April 9, 2021

The researchers conducted 1103 surveys, encompassing 464 US physicians.

xray image of pneumonia and a hand with rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis Advisor

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Interstitial Lung Disease: Managing a Complex Comorbidity

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

February 5, 2021

This narrative review aims at elucidating the association between ILD and RA in older individuals.

General Rheumatology

COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation: Ethical Concerns, Practical Challenges

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

November 5, 2020

In the event of a likely scarcity of COVID-19 vaccines, a framework must be developed to inform who should get priority.

Uncategorized

Seven Things to Consider When Transitioning to Telemedicine During COVID-19

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

April 30, 2020

Seven things to consider when transitioning to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practice Management

Dress for Success: Physician Attire May Influence Patients’ Perception of Care

Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LMSW

January 1, 2020

First impressions are an important part of the patient-physician relationship, because they can affect the quality of the relationship well beyond the initial encounter.