The 42nd Annual Congress of Clinical Rheumatology East brought together 1,027 clinicians and healthcare professionals for four days of practical, practice-changing rheumatology education: 786 on-site in Destin, Florida, and 241 online.
The official Educational Outcomes Report is in, and the results show how this year’s program advanced clinical knowledge and, just as importantly, readiness to apply it in patient care. Here are the highlights.
Outcome Report
CCR East 2026
Net Promoter Score+84
April 30 – May 3, 2026 • Destin, FL • Onsite and virtual
- Participants
- 1,027
- 786 onsite · 241 virtual
- Credits
- 25+
- Faculty
- 17
Participants rated 4 or 5 of 5
+67.6% relative increase in high knowledge ratings
Rated themselves moderately or very knowledgeable
Across all 33 knowledge statements, Thursday through Sunday. Every statement improved.
Every day of the Congress
- Thursday 57.6% to 89.8%
- Friday 60.6% to 91.7%
- Saturday 45% to 89.5%
- Sunday 40.9% to 87.1%
Biggest knowledge gains
- Osteoarthritis
- Sjögren’s
- Lupus nephritis
- Vagal nerve stimulation
- Refractory rheumatoid arthritis
Class-average normalized gain
Mean knowledge 3.47 → 4.45 of 5
Self-assessed on a 5-point scale before and after each day’s sessions.
From learning to practice
Reported at the close of the meeting
- Will make a practice change
- 94.8%
- Confident making that change
- 94.8%
What they plan to change
Participants could choose more than one.
Measurable knowledge gains
CCR has always aimed to give clinicians up-to-date, clinically actionable education. Across all 33 knowledge statements evaluated from Thursday through Sunday, CCR East 2026 produced a 67.6% relative increase in high self-assessed knowledge ratings.
- A substantial shift in expertise: the share of responses rated moderately or very knowledgeable (4 or 5 of 5) rose from 53.7% before the sessions to 90.1% after. Every knowledge statement improved.
- Normalized gain: mean self-assessed knowledge rose from 3.47 to 4.45 out of 5, a 64.0% class-average normalized gain.
- Where the biggest gains came: the top 10 knowledge gains were in osteoarthritis, Sjögren’s, lupus nephritis, vagal nerve stimulation and refractory rheumatoid arthritis.
From learning to practice
The real measure of CME is what changes in the clinic. Participants left with both the intent and the confidence to raise their standard of care:
- 94.8% will make a change in their practice toward a higher standard of care as a result of the program.
- 94.8% reported high confidence in implementing that change.
- 97.0% reported greater competence, 95.7% expect better clinical performance, and 95.4% feel more confident diagnosing and treating patients.
Asked which specific changes they plan to make, participants most often chose:
- More appropriate drug choices (51%)
- Treating to target more often (44%)
- Monitoring associated comorbidities (37%)
- More appropriate monitoring for drug toxicities, and working better as a member of the healthcare team (21% each)
An attendee experience worth recommending: NPS +84
CCR East 2026 earned a Net Promoter Score of +84. Among 304 survey responses, 85.5% were Promoters, rating the meeting 9 or 10 out of 10, and the average likelihood to recommend was 9.46 out of 10. On the overall evaluation, 97.0% said they would recommend the program to their colleagues.
See you at CCR East 2027
Thank you to the faculty, attendees and supporters who made CCR East 2026 a success.
CCR East returns to the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Florida, on May 13–16, 2027. Registration is open now. To hear about the program and faculty as they are announced, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page.
Join us for CCR East 2027
May 13–16, 2027 · Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Destin, Florida. Case-driven education and 20+ CME/MOC credits on Florida’s Emerald Coast.
