This article reports a unique statewide initiative in Minnesota to improve orders for high-tech diagnostic imaging tests while reducing their overall frequency and costs.
Compared with ipratropium alone, fluticasone/salmeterol combination therapy resulted in better clinical outcomes and similar or lower treatment costs in all COPD populations studied.
Dr. Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, US Dept of Health and Human Services, discusses her papers and answers questions.
Increasing accountable care organization savings is dependent on maximizing quality scores and increasing the number of beneficiaries while maintaining a low per-capita spend through efficiencies of care.
The authors examined 2 high-risk classification methods to compare and contrast the patient populations, and to identify the preferred method for predicting subsequent emergency department visits.
We describe the Veterans Health Administration's nationwide patient-centered medical home (PCMH) initiative and evaluate interim changes in PCMH-related patient care processes.
Genomics-based precision medicine has the potential to transform healthcare delivery. However, effective collaborations among scientists, clinicians, and payers are needed to accelerate the translation of precision medicine to clinical practice and ensure its sustainability.
HMOs in California, particularly Kaiser, have developed approaches to end-of-life care that allow them to use far fewer inpatient resources than fee-for-service providers.
A chronic disease management company presents promising preliminary results from their remote intensive behavioral counseling intervention, aimed at addressing type 2 diabetes.
CRC screening rates in a large managed care organization were low. Among those screened, use was associated more with physicians' recommendations than with patient preferences.
Economic factors associated with the purchase and maintenance of vaccine inventory and inadequate reimbursement for vaccination services were the most important to pharmacy and doctors’ office decision makers when considering whether to stock adult vaccines.
Universal gene expression profiling of patients with stage II breast cancer resulted in outpatient savings of $11,000 (inclusive of testing costs) within 6 months of initiation of medical therapy.
Between 2009 and 2013, for individuals with employer-sponsored insurance, prices for services performed at hospital outpatient departments were higher than in physician offices, and the magnitude of price differential increased over time.
The authors developed a model to identify participants in a home- and community-based services program who are at highest risk for long-term nursing home placement.