Latest Conference Articles

Patients who received canagliflozin from their health plan showed significant A1C improvement, even though the study group had poor glycemic control despite treatment with multiple therapies. The study period covered the months immediately following FDA approval.

A study of Medicare claims suggests that policies that ask seniors to pay more out of pocket for prescriptions may lead to lower adherence and result in higher healthcare costs.

Studies presented at the 2015 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions take different approaches on what percentage of carbohydrates should be part of a diet for persons with type 2 diabetes.

Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, and other researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center showed that patients with obesity and diabetes who lost at least 7% of their weight the first year stood a better chance of keeping it off.

Just as diabetes care started the movement toward population management, it is leading the way to new payment models, according to speakers who appeared at a symposium to open the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

Luis A. Diaz, Jr, MD, associate professor of oncology, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, discovered that patients with high mutational burden with mismatched repair responded well to checkpoint inhibition of PD1.

Much-anticipated trial results were presented on the third day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held in Chicago. These included phase 3 results from the CheckMate 067 trial and a phase 2 study with elotuzumab.

While the clinical data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) created waves, a session on value had an equally significant impact as oncologists thronged to hear stakeholder voices define this, as yet abstract, concept of "value" in cancer care. The session brought together a patient representative, an oncologist, an ASCO representative, and a payer.

The Patient Advocate Program (PAF) serves patients with chronic, life threatening or debilitating diseases by providing direct financial support as well as case management support. Alan Balch, PhD, chief executive officer, PAF, explained that PAF guides their members through insurance systems when issues of access or affordability arise for the individual.

Supporting shared decision making between cancer patients and oncologists starts with an understanding of what the physician's role is, explained Peter P. Yu, MD, FACP, FASCP, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and director of cancer research at Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

During the Health Services Research and Quality of Care session on the second day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, being held at the McCormick Convention Center, Chicago, oncologists discussed barriers to patient participation in cancer clinical trials, and discussed attributes of the high cost of care.

The introduction of the immune regulatory checkpoint inhibitors and their impressive results is what John C. Morris, MD, professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Cincinnati, finds most exciting in the area of lung cancer immunotherapy.

On the first day of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Robin Zon, MD, a practicing medical oncologist from Michiana Hematology Oncology, PC, discussed the struggle of physicians and the practice staff as they balance administrative burdens with clinical care.

New study results being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in Chicago found that the PD-1 and PD-L1 biomarkers can be used to determine response and resistance, explained Daniel P. Petrylak, MD.

The move to have patients shoulder greater share of their cost of care is particularly challenging in cancer care, according to Jennifer Malin, MD, medical director for oncology at Anthem.

On the first day at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, physicians introduced some of the newer agents currently available to treat lymphoma and described their experience with these agents during the session, "Incorporating Novel Agents into Lymphoma Therapy: Value in Everyday Practice."

A late afternoon session on the first day of the 2015 Community Oncology Conference was a panel discussion called, "The Pathway Conundrum: How Many Do We Need and How Restrictive?"

Historically, people talk about pathways as if they are an answer, but they are really just one component to cancer care delivery, said Laura Long, MD, MPH, president at TheLongView, PC.

A cancer diagnosis is a very emotional experience, and besides for lifestyle issues, medications are one of the best ways to fight the disease, according to Jan Berger, MD, MJ.

The panel discussion, "Tackling Advanced Care Planning in Payment Reform: People and Politics" at the 2015 Community Oncology Conference, included a provider who is an active proponent of advanced care planning (ACP), a program director at a nonprofit health insurance company, and a healthcare consultant who until recently worked for a big health plan.

A general session at the Community Oncology Conference, Community Oncology 2.0, Moving Forward on Payment Reform, was a panel discussion that saw participation by 2 providers and a payer.

With the rising prices of innovative oncology treatments, many of which fall under specialty pharmaceuticals, curbing the cost of care is high on the agenda of healthcare providers.

One of the challenges providers will face in the new Oncology Care Model that CMS announced earlier this year is measuring quality and meeting quality standards under, according to Patti Forest, MD, MBA, senior medical director of network quality and performance at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Given the high cost of oncology medications, many specialty pharmacies have dedicated teams to help patients overcome the financial burden, said Kirby Eng, RPh, executive director of clinical oncology management services at Onco360.

During the session on "Federal and State Legislative and Regulatory Updates" at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo, there was talk of the ongoing initiatives being proposed by CMS, explained Debbie Meyer, RPh, resident program director, student pharmacists, career programs, Humana, Inc, who moderated the session.

The Patient‑Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) takes 2 different approaches to conduct research and gather evidence to help patients make decisions, Joe V. Selby, MD, MPH, executive director of PCORI, said at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo.

Although Rhode Island is the smallest state in the United States, it had the fourth highest healthcare spend, which meant the state was spending "way too much" on healthcare, according to Beth Hebert-Silvia, RPh, managing director and assistant vice president of pharmacy at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI).

Although there is a lot of promise for comparative effectiveness research as a tool to help healthcare providers, policy makers, and patients make better decisions, there are a number of issues to be resolved, according to speakers at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's 27th Annual Meeting & Expo.