Clinical Pathways

Providers, payers, and patients looking to do research on a clinical guideline need to get busy: They only have this weekend to download thousands of pages from federally funded websites that will close due to federal budget cuts in President Donald Trump’s budget.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) decided that current evidence is insufficient to recommend screening for peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular risk with the ankle-brachial index in asymptomatic adults.

During the first round of screening, a human papillomavirus (HPV) test detected more abnormal cells grade 3 or worse in the cervix than a Papanicolau (Pap) smear, resulting in a lower liklihood of abnormal cells grade 3 or worse at 48 months.

Using a series of small public data sets, researchers found a positive association of prenatal exposure to folic acid fortification with subsequent cortical development in the brain—considered key for cognitive and mental health—through adolescence. The finding suggests that increased prenatal exposure to folic acid through food fortification may protect against psychosis through altered postnatal cortical development.

Three pain societies have come together to create consensus guidelines for the use of ketamine for both acute and chronic pain.

TAILORx is very good news for an estimated 60,000 women a year, who in years past would have received chemotherapy, possibly risking long-term physical and mental side effects, in addition to experiencing what is now an additional and recognized side effect of cancer treatment: financial toxicity.

Guidelines can help address issues of cost and variation, especially in complex diseases, said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, president, Carolinas HealthCare System's Levine Cancer Institute.

The purpose of evidence-based guidelines is to reduce the level of variation, improve outcomes, and reduce costs, said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, president, Carolinas HealthCare System's Levine Cancer Institute.

Physician involvement, patient input, and accuracy are the most important aspects of successfully implementing guidelines, said Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, president, Carolinas HealthCare System's Levine Cancer Institute.

The more data providers have on a patient, the better understanding they have about the type of treatment plan that works best with the patient’s goals, explained Torrie K. Fields, MPH, senior program manager of Palliative Care Program Design & Implementation for Blue Shield of California.

Following the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO's) evaluation of leading oncology clinical pathway vendors nationwide, an article in Journal of Clinical Pathways provided insight into the evaluation from 2 of the report's co-authors.

A cancer therapy stewardship program can be used to improve clinical quality and patient care by emphasizing the importance of value and evidence in oncology.

A recently published study in JAMA Internal Medicine sought to determine whether a symptom and psychosocial collaborative care intervention improves heart failure–specific health status, depression, and symptom burden in patients with heart failure.

Jason Harris, associate director of policy and programs at National Health Council, talks about promoting high-value, patient-centric care that reduces costs.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCN) has released new NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology to help ensure that people living with HIV who are diagnosed with cancer receive safe and necessary treatment.

A study to be published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons found that a safety-net hospital in Florida could perform an esophagectomy, a highly complex operation, with fewer complications and shorter hospital stays than the national average.

A new study integrates traditional National Comprehensive Cancer Network prostate cancer guidelines with genetic information found in biopsied tissue to more accurately predict which men have more aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Cell-free DNA derived from liquid biopsy offers the potential for minimally invasive genome-wide profiling of tumor alterations without tumor biopsy and can predict patient survival outcomes for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, according to a team of researchers.

A new protocol is being tested at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center called an ECPR alert. The alert is designed for usage after ventricular fibrillation has been administered 3 times and the patient has remained in this rhythm.

Centrally assisted collaborative telecare is a cost-effective strategy relative to usual care for treating posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in the Military Health System.

Last week, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published its review of the leading oncology pathway vendors in the United States in the Journal of Oncology Practice. The report found that overall, the prominent commercial pathway programs in the United States are aligned with ASCO’s evaluation criteria.

Via Oncology is taking several steps to implement value into clinical pathways programs, explained President and CEO Kathleen Lokay.