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This week, the top managed care news included COVID-19 delays in breast cancer surgery; targeted therapies associated with decreased mortality risk for non–small cell lung cancer; an inside look at a patient’s perspective of early-onset Parkinson disease.

During a session at CHEST 2020, Robyn Scatena, MD, director of critical care at Norwalk Hospital, outlined 2 communication models to help break bad news in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the health care and mainstream press.

Rates of delirium for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have skyrocketed in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, said Brenda Truman Pun, DNP, RN, director of data quality, Vanderbilt Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center.

Experts presenting the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week session entitled “From Kids to Adults: Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) Across the Life Course,” outlined the detrimental effects of childhood CKD and other kidney diseases on long-term health.

Americans not covered by Medicaid should be aware of 2 key factors: the use of copay accumulators in commercial health plans and management of emerging high-cost specialty prescription drugs.

It is still unclear why patients who should respond to anti–interleukin-5 therapies do not, noted Anne Reihman, MD, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, University of Colorado.

A collaborative effort between the health system and health plan pharmacists, as well as care managers and prescribers is key to improving clinical, quality outcomes in value-based payment models.

Dual-eligible Special Needs Plans are at highest risk with newest CMS changes.

In a session focused on sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) Kidney Week, experts highlighted the benefits of using this drug class in patients with kidney disease and outlined future steps for integration of care.

Artificial intelligence allows underserved populations to gain access to a radiologist, pointed out Anthony L. Loschner, MD, assistant professor and associate program director, Critical Care Fellowship Program, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.

Many of the patients in our clinic system were not being screened for chronic kidney disease even though they exhibited risk factors, said Shweta Bansal, MD, FASN, associate professor of medicine in the nephrology division at the University of Texas Health Center at San Antonio.

Purdue Pharma will pay $8.3 billion in criminal charges; the CDC expands its definition of "close contact"; Ireland announces new lockdown.

Consuming more green tea and coffee was associated with reduced all-cause mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the results of a prospective study published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care.

Increased time spent in front of computer screens, less time spent sleeping, and less access to gyms have led my patients to have a lot more migraines, said Peter McAllister, MD, a neurologist, board certified headache specialist, and medical director of the New England Institute for Neurology and Headache.

New data show that despite major improvements in survival rates in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), older patients with the malignancy have benefited less than younger patients.

Recent guidelines have renewed the focus on treating severe asthma. During 2 panels at CHEST 2020, experts discussed key updates, limitations of the guidelines, and more.

Pharmacists have an important role to play in the success of value-based payment models, according to panelists who discussed their health plan’s value initiatives at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2020 meeting.

Solriamfetol was found to be efficacious and safe in the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea, according to study findings.

Shared decision-making is very important when it comes to choosing biologics for patients, emphasized Nicola Hanania, MD, MS, pulmonary critical care physician and director, Airways Clinical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.

For pharmacy practices to effectively manage specialty drugs, an extensive staff of pharmacists with clinical and managed care expertise is needed, as well as a collaborative effort between all those involved in the care team.

In a panel discussion at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2020 meeting, experts discussed driving factors of and barriers to the use of real-world evidence by payers in oncology decision-making.

Investigators may have found a minimally invasive way to predict which patients with multiple myeloma are about to experience a relapse.

Challenges remain, in light of new guidelines, when making treatment decisions for patients with severe asthma, noted Megan Althoff, MD, PhD, second year fellow, University of Colorado, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine.

At Dana Farber Cancer Institute, essential steps to developing clinical pathways include engaging physicians to buy-in, finding the optimal platform to store data, and displaying resulting content in a supportive and efficient way.

Abstracts presented at CHEST 2020 looked at improving diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with machine learning and the development of intensive care unit delirium in hospitalized patients with ARDS.

In assessing a post–coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) world, several aspects may impact managed care pharmacy practices long-term, including self-administration of therapies and issues in pharmacy reimbursement spotlighted by the pandemic.

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia is rare and shares many features with other conditions. A new review article helps explain some of the tactics physicians can use to correctly identify it.

The director of the National Institutes of Health speaks out on his prediction for vaccine approval; Americans are having difficulty finding and trusting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) information; pandemic-related trends in Alaska are on the rise.

A panel discussion examined the changes in the health care landscape occurring due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, particularly around pharmacists’ scope of practice, and which changes are likely to persist after the pandemic.