Laura Joszt, MA

Despite their large and growing reach, accountable care organizations (ACOs) are still learning how to manage their populations and are slowly accepting more financial risk, according to the results of the Annual ACO Survey from the National Association of ACOs and Leavitt Partners.

Excessively low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides is associated with a higher all-cause mortality among American Indians, according to a new study published online ahead of print in Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.

Bacteria in the gut may influence how effective cancer immunotherapies are, according to researchers at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Patients who feel they have little control over their health are more likely to report being depressed as a result of pain they experience. Targeting a patient’s sense of control can improve outcomes and remove barriers to recovery for patients with pain.

While the United States typically ranked first in rates of diagnosed conditions among 10 countries evaluated for patient insights into pressing health issues, it had the lowest work productivity impairment and activity impairment, according to a new report from Kantar Health.

While death rates from breast cancer declined 39% from 1989 to 2015, there are clear racial differences with black women having higher breast cancer death rates than white women, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.

Adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who were treated with Dupixent (dupilumab) from Sanofi and Regeneron along with topical corticosteroids experienced improvements in overall disease severity, according to results from phase 3 of the CAFÉ trial.

The FDA has rejected an abuse-deterrent opioid citing the need for further evidence. Rexista, an Oxycodone Hydrochloride Extended-Release tablet (Oxycodone ER), was developed by Intellipharmaceutics International Inc as an abuse- and alcohol-deterrent controlled-release oral formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride for pain relief.

CMS has issued an informal request for information seeking input on a new direction promoting patient-centered care and market-driven reforms for the CMS Innovation Center.

Salt intake may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and published in Diabetologia found sodium intake increased the risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Houston is expected to face a host of health challenges, including air pollution. Here are 5 facts about how air pollution affects people’s health.

Recent advances in brain imaging have improved understanding of acute and chronic pain, but have led to an increased in the demand to use this data for insurance and medical legal cases. However, a task force is advising against the use of brain imaging as a “lie detector” test for chronic pain.

As the healthcare industry struggles to address rising costs and unaffordable care, attention is turning to value-based benefit design options. Altarum has released its outline for a new value-based insurance design model that it will test at pilot sites across the country.

As the healthcare industry struggles to address rising costs and unaffordable care, attention is turning to value-based benefit design options. Altarum has released its outline for a new value-based insurance design model that it will test at pilot sites across the country.

There may be a connection between sleep troubles and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to an expert at the 30th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, which was held September 2-5 in Paris, France.

Ohio Governor John Kasich and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sat together at an event co-hosted by the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for American Progress to discuss bipartisan consensus around health reform policies and their commitment to quality, not quantity, medicine.

Most emergency department (ED) visits may not be as preventable as once thought. A new study in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care pointed out that while some estimates of "avoidable" ED visits have run anywhere between 4.8% and 90%, the reality is even lower.

The assumption in the United States is that once someone with cancer is cured, done with treatment, and healthy, that they are now okay. However, the reality is that survivors contend with lingering challenges that aren’t visible and make it difficult for them to ask for help or admit they need it.

Psoriasis severity has been linked to increased risk of death in a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Researchers found that the risk of death increased for patients who had more surface area covered by psoriasis.

Despite trials showing that antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is safe and effective to treat inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, but adherence rates remain low.

A once-daily treatment that lasts up to 16 hours post-dose for patients older than 13 years who have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is now available in the United States.

The FDA has approved the first chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) treatment, tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), for the treatment of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia in certain pediatric and young adult patients. The therapy represents a new frontier in cancer care.

Patients with heart failure tend to have other health issues, requiring cardiologists to understand how to care for heart failure while keeping in mind treatment for these other comorbidities, said panelists at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.

For each level of cardiovascular risk, lifestyle factors remain a significant contributor that can be modified to reduce risk. However, some risk will remain nonmodifiable and require therapy, according to panelists during a session on cardiovascular prevention at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.

Rivaroxaban plus aspirin has significant benefits for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stable coronary artery disease, according to the results of the COMPASS (Cardiovascular OutcoMes for People using Anticoagulation StrategieS) trial, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.

A free-market system with competition should lead to reduced prices and savings-theoretically. In the case of healthcare, being able to shop around for the best priced service or product not only isn’t easy, but isn't always feasible.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has toyed with the idea of eliminating the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Doing so would actually decrease the number of uninsured individuals starting in 2020, but would increase the federal deficit by $194 billion from 2017 through 2026, according to a new report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, will leave his position as the deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality at CMS and the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to lead Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC).

AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up with experts on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare. The interviews provide insights from key decision makers-from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. You can access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.

After Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) returned to Congress last week after surgery and a brain tumor diagnosis, he called on his fellow senators to put aside partisan differences and work together on healthcare reform. In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group is trying to do just that.