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After 14 weeks of treatment, both once-daily doses (15 mg and 30 mg) of upadacitinib met the study’s primary endpoints of low disease activity and ACR20 versus continuing methotrexate therapy.

Low medication adherence is a problem in healthcare, in general. However, adolescents with chronic health conditions also have low adherence, but they are at a critical age when they can create routines and health behaviors that optimize disease management as they become adults.

A recent study, published in JAMA Dermatology, investigated whether there was an association between insurance type and surgical delays for patients with melanoma.

One way to improve healthcare quality and efficiency and reduce the use of unnecessary care is to apply the principles of value-based insurance design, which aligns patients’ out-of-pocket costs with the value of services.

This year, papers published in The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC®)explored novel notes systems, telemedicine, alternative payment models, specialist consult coordination, and health workforce use within accountable care organizations, in addition to many other topics. These 5 articles exploring the meaning of quality and how to achieve it were the most read from AJAC® in 2017.

In the last 4 years, the number of drug ads seen on TV has increased 65%; Kmart settled a prescription drug case over allegations it was being overpaid by the government; understanding the term "evidence-based" and how critics and supporters view it.

Patients cared for by physicians in their first year as hospitalists have worse 30-day and hospital mortality when compared with more experienced hospitalists.

While FoundationOne CDx, the comprehensive companion diagnostic test for solid tumors, gives patients the ability to be accurately matched with a targeted therapy, it also has potential benefits for patients with a less common types of cancers, said Stuart Goldberg, MD, chief scientific officer, Cota, in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care®.

Based on long-term observations, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor utilization is a safe and effective treatment to prevent infections and improve quality of life in patients with cyclic neutropenia, according to an analysis in The New England Journal of Medicine.

More than 700 hospitals were penalized for having the highest rates of patient injuries; the Physician-focused Payment Technical Advisory Committee backed 2 new alternative payment models; and experts outline the biggest challenges of implementing and maintaining electronic health records going into the new year.

With reimbursement increasingly tied to outcomes, health systems and practices are trying to find ways to reduce costs while delivering better care. Some of the most-read articles in The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) in 2017 included an analysis of the benefits of treating everyone with hepatitis C with new, expensive treatments, a program to reduce readmissions, and a look at the impact of value-based contracting in Medicare Advantage.

Less than 10% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation received a referral from their physician, according to a new study. However, there was no association found between referral status and COPD exacerbations.

The FDA has removed a boxed warning on medicines delivering a combinations of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) drugs.

Scientists from King’s College London uncovered a new mechanism of cellular communication, between neurons and immune cells, in a discovery that could lead to new treatment targets for neuropathic pain.

The spending bill featured a waiver to avoid Medicare cuts in 2018, before voters to go to the polls in the midterm elections.

Asthma, a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among American preschoolers, may be worse in children aged 2 to 5 who are overweight or obese.

A recent study conducted in Finland and published in Acta Dermatologica-Venerology finds that rosacea could be related to underlying systemic inflammation.

This week, the top managed care stories included the elimination of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; a new gene therapy for inherited vision loss that could cost $1 million; and a study found that social isolation can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Using lessons learned from the past 4 years of working with 10 states and Puerto Rico, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Health Division has released a road map to guide states in establishing state-level solutions to care for complex populations.

Articles on type 2 diabetes management, colon cancer screenings, and anti-rheumatic drug approvals topped the list.

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

For the most part, it’s well known that eating healthy and in moderation is more beneficial to our health. In 2017, there were a number of news stories that drove that knowledge home.

Older patients are often subjected to unnecessary screening; older people who eat more leafy greens have slower cognitive decline; a look at some ways to reduce wasteful spending in healthcare.

A short film supported by the makers of Stiolto Respimat shows the day-to-day life of 3 patients with COPD.

Finding cancer early is a key step to reducing cancer mortality, and a new study suggests that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act led to more and earlier cancer detection.

Behavioral therapy combined with stimulants is more effective and tolerable than other treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a recently published review and network meta-analysis of 190 randomized trials. The review did not find evidence to support cognitive training, neurofeedback, antidepressants, antipsychotics, dietary therapy, fatty acids, and other complementary and alternative medicine.

A new sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 medication to treat type 2 diabetes is joining the field: the FDA approved ertugliflozin (Steglatro) from Merck and Pfizer as a single therapy and in combination with Merck’s sitagliptin (Januvia), a DPP-4 inhibitor, or with metformin.

The FDA's 2013 accelerated approval of pertuzumab for neoadjuvant use was converted to full approval as part of treatment for patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early-stage breast cancer.

Arizona submitted a waiver to impose work requirements and a lifetime limit for able-bodied people on the Medicaid program; Congress will tackle long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Plan in 2018; the opioid epidemic escalated in 2016.

In 2017, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) covered conferences on a range of topics: oncology, diabetes, managed care, and much more. however, the most-read coverage from conferences that AJMC® attended mostly focused on cardiology trial results, particularly the cardiovascular results of diabetes medications.