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The National Quality Forum’s Measure Applications Partnership recently released guidelines on measures for the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and on cross-cutting issues for all federal healthcare programs.

When asked “what is your surgical site infection rate?” one will get an answer that is almost certainly removed from reality.

What we're reading, April 18, 2016: medical experts ask the Joint Commission to revisit its standards of pain management; study determines low-cost generics just as effective at treating hepatitis C as brand name drugs; and UnitedHealth also pulling out of Michigan Obamacare exchange.

The results, published in Diabetes Care, move the hope of pancreatic cell islet transplants close to commercialization, which would bring the technique to more patients who cannot produce their own insulin.

Targeting cancer stem cells could have a much better impact on the outcome of patients with multiple myeloma being treated with standard chemotherapy, a new single-arm study by researchers at Johns Hopkins has found.

Data on drug prescriptions, diagnoses, and events are increasingly being used for epidemiologic and pharmacologic studies and for the evaluation of quality of care, but questions arise about how complete and accurate the diagnoses and events in these databases are.

The top stories in managed care include a recap of Patient-Centered Diabetes Care, the case for the Oncology Medical Home, UnitedHealth leaves Affordable Care Act exchanges in 2 states, and CMS expands alternative payment model for primary care.

Drug prices are rising faster than any other area of healthcare, but solutions aren't so simple. Easing barriers to competition, promoting approval of generic drugs, and increased transparency would help.

Study finds a first heart attack is more likely to lead to heart failure in patients when the burden of coronary artery disease increases.

Many physicians are interested in using genomic profiling in patient care, but many believe they are unprepared to do so.

The action, to be published Monday in the Federal Register, comes as the agency puts increased focus on long-term safety of drugs that treat diabetes and obesity, and prevent cardiovascular events.

Public investment in affordable and stable housing, through rental assistance for food-insecure families, improves the health of infants and children and is associated with better health outcomes and lower spending.

From the focus on prevention to the possibilities of telehealth, the annual meeting presented by The American Journal of Managed Care and Joslin Diabetes Center showed where care is heading.

What we're reading, April 15, 2016: troubling disparities in access to preventive care remain; new test to choose the right hepatitis C medication could save money; and upcoming loss of exclusivity for some drugs could mean big savings for the healthcare system.

Instead of positively affecting drug markets or drug use, the war on drugs and zero-tolerance policies have in fact weakened certain public health policies across the globe, according to a new report.

Sitting time was responsible for 3.8% of all-cause mortality in 54 countries studied, and eliminating sitting time could increase life expectancy by 0.20 years in those nations.

The authors say increased attention to gut and adipose hormones will reveal pathways to treat infertility.

The widespread switch from regular to electronic cigarettes among teens has alarmed public health officials, who say nicotine in any form can harm brain development.

Updates to Medicare Advantage and the Part D Prescription Drug program will improve programs for health plans that provide care for vulnerable enrollees.

A look at the pharmaceutical industry’s influence and practices, and how patients and providers can support efforts to improve regulation.

What we're reading, April 14, 2016: House passes bill to speed up approval for Zika virus vaccines; spending on prescription brand name drugs grew just 2.8% in 2015; and Maine Senate passes measure to expand Medicaid.

American workers’ compensation payers experienced a 2.2% increase in pharmacy spending in 2015, but effective management programs helped lower injured workers’ drug utilization by 2.6%.

The rise in employee cost-sharing for healthcare predates Obamacare but has taken off since the law passed in 2010. Higher deductibles have been accompanied by stagnant wages, ensuring that the higher payments are deeply felt.

Adverse drug reaction profiles for 12 marketed antidepressant and anticonvulsant medications are inconsistently reported in Europe versus the United States.

The study, funded by Medtronic, follows an earlier study that compared pump users to those using daily injections to manage type 2 diabetes.

The committee voted 12-1 in favor of delaying approval of the drug and waiting on results from the phase 3 study.

A new study published in The Journal of Urology has found that active surveillance in prostate cancer patients who might have a low-grade disease has the possibility of disease progression in only a small number of patients.

What we're reading, April 13, 2016: scientists find possible "superhero DNA" protecting individuals from debilitating diseases; NPR shines a light on the long wait Native Americans face for healthcare; and doctors rarely discuss weight loss strategies with obese patients.

Potential modifications to the risk-adjustment model used for the Affordable Care Act commercial plans could improve the model and appropriately compensate plans that enroll sicker enrollees.