Matthew is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). He joined AJMC® in 2019 and creates content for Medical World News®, a 24-hour online program developed MJH Life Sciences® focusing on pressing topics within managed care, as well as the nonwork-related activities of health care stakeholders.
He has a BA in journalism & media studies and economics from Rutgers University. You can connect with Matthew on LinkedIn.
Joseph Alvarnas, MD, vice president of government affairs at City of Hope and chief clinical adviser of AccessHope in Duarte, California, spoke on the influence that the California Cancer Care Equity Act is having on legislative efforts in other states, as well as future steps to promote accessible, affordable, and effective cancer care for patients nationwide.
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Nutrition Associated With Recurrent CDI Risk in Elderly Patients
November 23rd 2022Elderly Japanese patients with a high geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) were associated with significantly better Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) relapse-free survival compared with those with low GNRI.
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CKD Severity, Proteinuria Associated With Risk of Prurigo Nodularis
November 22nd 2022Korean patients who had more advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate of 29 or less vs 90 or more, and presence of proteinuria were associated with greater risk of prurigo nodularis.
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High Burden of AD, Bacterial Skin Infections Seen in Young Urban-Living Indigenous People
November 20th 2022Urban-living Indigenous children and young people in high-income countries reported a higher likelihood of current and severe symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) compared with a non-Indigenous population, as well as a higher incidence of bacterial skin infections.
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Dr Jason Ezra Hawkes: Education on Chronic Nature, Subtypes of AD Key in Managing Diverse Patients
November 18th 2022Jason Ezra Hawkes, MD, MS, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of California Davis in Sacramento, discussed why it is important for dermatologists to educate patients on atopic dermatitis (AD) and keep an open mind on variations in disease presentation by skin color.
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Dr Liz Lightstone Discusses Implications of Current Standard of Care for Lupus Nephritis
November 18th 2022Liz Lightstone, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, professor of renal medicine for the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, spoke on issues regarding the current standard of care for lupus nephritis, including steroid overuse, pregnancy, and dose-related toxicity.
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Incidence and Severity of Neurologic Diseases Worsening Due to Air Pollution, Climate Change
November 16th 2022Climate change and exposure to airborne pollutants was associated with incidence and exacerbation of several neurologic diseases, including migraine, dementia, and Parkinson disease.
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Michael Thompson Reviews Findings of National Alliance’s Pulse of the Purchaser Fall 2022 Survey
November 16th 2022Michael Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance), discussed findings of the survey that was presented at the National Alliance 2022 Annual Forum and what concerns employers and business coalitions had regarding the current state of health care cost, delivery, and coverage.
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Diagnostic Criteria for Hidradenitis Suppurativa May Overlook Pediatric Patients
November 16th 2022More than a third (42.8%) of pediatric patients with hidradenitis suppurativa did not meet all major diagnostic criteria at the time of diagnosis, particularly due to failure to fulfill the recurrence interval criterion (2 or more lesions within 6 months).
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Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors for AD Not Associated With Cancer
November 14th 2022Pimecrolimus and tacrolimus, 2 topical calcineurin inhibitors for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), were not shown to increase the risk of cancer based on moderate-certainty evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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Dr Joseph Alvarnas: Cancer Care Equity Act Meets the Needs of Patients With Advanced Disease
November 12th 2022Joseph Alvarnas, MD, vice president of government affairs at City of Hope and chief clinical adviser of AccessHope in Duarte, California, spoke on how the California Cancer Care Equity Act will allow oncologists to escalate the care of patients with advanced cancers toward established centers that can better meet their needs, as well as implications from the decision to exclude genomic testing coverage in the bill.
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Dr Melissa O'Connor: Further Research Needed for Technology Use in Home Health
November 12th 2022Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in community and home health nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, spoke on the early use of technology in assessing older adults in the home setting and what research is required to improve best practices for their use.
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CDI-Related Mortality Risk Greater in Hospitalized Children With Cystic Fibrosis
November 11th 2022Pediatric patients who developed coexisting Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) while hospitalized for cystic fibrosis exhibited greater mortality risk, length of stay, and cost compared with those without cooccuring CDI.
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Dr Liz Lightstone on Emerging Treatment Options, Unmet Needs in Lupus Nephritis
November 11th 2022Liz Lightstone, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, professor of renal medicine for the faculty of medicine, Imperial College London, discussed recently approved therapeutic options for patients with lupus nephritis and what unmet needs persist in the management of the disease.
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Social Impact of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Associated With Worse QOL, Mental Health Burden
November 11th 2022Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa who reported feelings of stigmatization due to their condition had worse quality of life and higher levels of depression and social anxiety vs those not reporting feelings of stigmatization.
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More than 100 health care organizations signed a HHS climate resilience pledge; linking patients in addiction treatment with a primary care practitioner is linked with improved long-term health outcomes; older men and women with weak grip strength may have accelerated biological aging.
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Simvastatin Ineffective as Disease-Modifying Therapy for Intermediate Parkinson Disease
November 10th 2022Patients with intermediate and mild Parkinson disease, defined by a Hoehn & Yahr stage of 3 or less, experienced an additional deterioration in motor function with simvastatin compared with placebo while not taking medication at 24 months.
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Investigating Real-World Effectiveness of Disease-Modifying Therapies in AD by Skin Type
November 10th 2022Real-world patients with atopic dermatitis with dark skin types showed greater mean reduction in disease severity between baseline and 6 months with dupilumab compared with those with light skin types, whereas no differences were observed regarding severity reduction for methotrexate and ciclosporin.
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Examining Risk Factors, Prodromal Features of Parkinson Disease
November 9th 2022Several known risk factors and prodromal features were associated with Parkinson disease, including traumatic brain injury and alcohol misuse, along with other comorbidities such as skin and gastrointestinal disorders.
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Phase 3 Study Shows Live Biotherapeutic Significantly Reduces CDI Recurrence
November 8th 2022A phase 3 study showed Ferring’s RBX2660, an investigational microbiota-based live biotherapeutic, to be safe and significantly reduce recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after antibiotic treatment, with a sustained response achieved through 6 months.
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Daniel E. Weiner, MD, MS, board certified nephrologist and lead navigator at Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, spoke on the limitations and future potential of value-based payment systems for chronic kidney disease (CKD), including the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices (ETC) Model and the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Models.
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Curtis Warfield, MS, senior quality analyst, Indiana State Department of Health, and regional leader of National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Advocacy Committee, spoke on limitations regarding the current process of educating and managing lifestyle interventions for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and how nephrologists can better integrate these strategies.
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Jen Gunter, MD, obstetrician and gynecologist, author, and specialist in chronic pain medicine and vulvovaginal disorders, spoke on the change in perspective regarding the medical and scientific community's role in dispelling health care misinformation on social media and in the press.
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Jennifer Green, MD, professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, member of Duke Clinical Research Institute, and EMPA-KIDNEY collaborator, discussed findings of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial presented at Kidney Week 2022, which showed a 28% improvement for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on empagliflozin, whether in reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease or progression of CKD.
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Dr Ray Bignall II on Understanding the Environment Patients Live In
November 4th 2022Access to care remains a key issue when trying to deliver equitable kidney health care to patients, explained O.N. Ray Bignall II, MD, assistant chief diversity and health equity officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
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Dr Brent W. Miller on Emerging Technologies in Home Dialysis and Strategies to Improve Uptake
November 4th 2022Brent W. Miller, MD, board certified nephrologist and professor of clinical medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, discussed new and emerging technologies for at-home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, as well as efforts that have been made to address uptake issues for patients with kidney disease.
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A poster presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2022 showed that patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), who had Medicare Advantage Part D coverage or were enrolled in a commercial health plan were associated with significantly greater health care resource utilization, including emergency department and inpatient visits, compared with those without rCDI.
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