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In a retrospective analysis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), those whose exacerbations were treated with systemic corticosteroids alone, or together with antibiotics, did more poorly than those treated with antibiotics alone, a recent study reported in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

After 3 months of treatment with a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, patients averaged 3 fewer migraines per month, according to study findings.

This week, the top managed care stories included an announcement from CMS of creating direct provider contracting, plus a broad set of proposed rules for health information technology; new recommendations to improve postpartum care; a look at future competition among specialty drugs.

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

There has been a proliferation of wearables from consumer gadgets, like the Fitbit, to medical devices that are approved by the FDA. Here are 5 things about wearable technology being used in healthcare.

Copayment assistance groups are being probed by federal authorities for possibly skewing the cost of healthcare to favor drug companies; the FDA is encouraging the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare; investigators revealed they made the arrest of one of California’s most notorious serial killers by using an as yet-unnamed commercial genealogy website, raising privacy concerns.

There are 3 major components in the 21st Century Cures Act that will fix the technology challenges facing healthcare and accountable care organizations (ACOs), said Don Rucker, national coordinator of health information technology (IT) in HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, at the spring 2018 conference of the National Association of ACOs.

Climate change causes a host of issues that have public health impacts, and states are proactively taking steps to anticipate these health issues and prevent them.

After various accusations about his work, Ronny Jackson, MD, has withdrawn from consideration to run the Department of Veterans Affairs; a new online shopping tool would help doctors find cheaper medications for patients based on the patient’s insurance plan information; hospitals have found a new revenue opportunity in self-management courses that teach patients how to prevent or delay complications of disease.

Researchers from Mexico recommend conducting a pulmonary function test in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy to assess their susceptibility to developing radiation pneumonitis.

A new tool has been created to measure patient uncertainty to predict which patients might return to the emergency department (ED) after discharge.

Between 2000 and 2015, $562.6 billion was spent on HIV/AIDS, with most spending occurring in high-income and upper-income countries and out-of-pocket spending accounting for less than 10%, according to the first long-term, comprehensive analysis of funding for the disease.

More patients are undergoing surgical procedures performed as day surgery with much of their recovery time at home without the direct supervision of a healthcare professional; therefore, these patients must possess functional health literacy (FHL) to understand instructions on how to manage their recovery at home. A new study, published in JAMA Surgery, described FHL among patients in Sweden who were undergoing day surgery and the association of FHL with postoperative recovery.

Takeda Pharmaceutical has increased its bid to purchase Shire Plc to $64 billion; a process for reviewing drug patents has been ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States; at the University of California, Los Angeles, an “unspoken taboo” against reusing transplanted kidneys is being challenged.

In an effort to make good on its plans to give patients more control over their health information as well as reduce the number of quality measures healthcare providers have to report, CMS announced changes in both of those areas Tuesday.

Drug company bluebird bio, Inc, has announced the publication of positive interim data for its gene therapy to eliminate or reduce chronic blood transfusions in patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia.

Women account for over 75% of Americans who experience migraines, which could be attributable to the way that estrogen levels affect cells in the brain, according to new study findings.

Systematic cross-checking between physicians resulted in a 40% reduction in adverse events in the emergency department, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The partnership will aid patients in an era of high-deductible health plans, which call on patients to make more of their own healthcare decisions.

The confirmation hearing for the president's new pick to run the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is being postponed; hospital profits are at 10-year low; new recommendations re-imagine postpartum care.

A new report suggests ways policy makers can support and advance value-based payment models so payment innovations can catch up to healthcare delivery innovations.

In a new study, researchers sought to identify the heterogeneity of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome, known as ACOS, in patients with mild to moderate airflow restriction. Using national survey and insurance claims data in Korea, they sought to identify the diverse epidemiological characteristics and subtypes of ACOS associated with exac­erbations, healthcare use, and cost.

The company has previously received breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment.

The emphasis on holding individuals acccountable for corporate malfeasance has received support from top Department of Justice officials since the change in administration.

Guidance for primary care physicians prescribing type 2 diabetes therapies comes at an opportune time. A major rift over guidelines for glycemic control has opened between the American College of Physicians, a professional association of internists, and diabetes specialists, including endocrinologists and diabetes educators.

A new blood test could negate the need for bone biopsies to diagnose a variety of cancers, including multiple myeloma. The test uses a small, low-cost plastic chip that delivers the same diagnostic information of a biopsy through a simple blood draw.

HHS will shift federal funding aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates to focus on programs that teach abstinence; relying on data about doctor-diagnosed arthritis alone may miss almost half of cases in middle aged adults; the Trump administration is seeking to reverse an Obama administration decision preventing healthcare discriminating against transgender patients.

Humana has launched a new maternity bundled payment model with 5 practices in Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Texas to improve quality, outcomes, and cost across the entire perinatal episode of care for women with low- to moderate-risk pregnancies.

The FDA’s Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee has unanimously recommended approval of the New Drug Application for GW Pharmaceuticals’ proposed cannabidiol oral solution for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with 2 rare disorders, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients 2 years and older.

Learning good inhaler technique is critical for effective care and treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory disorders. But a survey of healthcare providers and patients show that both groups place more importance on medication over devices when it comes to COPD treatments, and both groups show limited concerns about proper device use.