April 23rd 2025
For patients with complex needs and social challenges like unstable housing, the hospital has become their de facto medical home—yet each visit is a fragmented restart, without continuity, context, or a clear path forward.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to announce plan on strengthening regulations against certain chemicals; risk of emergency complications increased in pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19; fully vaccinated, heavy marijuana users with substance abuse disorder linked with higher susceptibility to breakthrough infection.
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Observation After Adenotonsillectomy Recommended for Patients With Extreme Pediatric OSA
October 8th 2021Pediatric patients with extreme obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a higher risk of needing respiratory support after undergoing corrective adenotonsillectomy, warranting the need for postoperative observation in these populations.
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Providing Patients With Cancer Access to Affordable Housing During Treatment
October 7th 2021Patients traveling for cancer treatment often incur financial burdens. The members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers should play a role in mitigating housing-associated costs for patients during cancer treatment.
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Update on Migraine Patient Care Challenges During the Pandemic
October 5th 2021Migraines plague some 35 million Americans, the majority of them women in their 30s and 40s, and disabling pain and symptoms are linked to lost productivity at work, school, and home. On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we bring you an excerpt of an interview with a headache specialist about the extra challenges for patients and providers during the pandemic.
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Study Finds Significant Link Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea, White Matter Hyperintensities
October 5th 2021Patients with obstuctive sleep apnea were found to be significantly more likely to have brain white matter hyperintensities, lesions known to signal brain aging and potential risk of Alzheimer disease.
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Francis Collins, MD, PhD, will step down as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the end of the year; the Biden administration ends a ban on federal funds for clinics that provide abortion referrals; the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing hospitalization and death 6 months after the second dose.
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Contributor: Institutional Engagement With Physicians Is Key to Managing Cost and Quality
September 30th 2021Although physicians’ clinical decisions serve as the biggest drivers behind the cost of care, hospitals have long been reluctant to take financial accountability. If such accountability is to be transformed from a diffuse fear to a manageable managerial task, institutional engagement with physicians will be a critical next step.
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Insulin Pump Use Linked With Decreased Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy in Young Patients With T1D
September 28th 2021Risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was found to be decreased in young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who were treated with insulin pumps, with findings also indicating a 2.1-fold greater risk of DR in Black participants compared with White individuals.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issues a warning on fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription drugs; a new FBI report shows a year-to-year increase in murders nationwide from 2019 to 2020; Pfizer will soon begin testing a novel combination therapy as a preventive measure against COVID-19 infection.
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Remove Race From Equation Used to Assess Kidney Function, Researchers Say
September 23rd 2021Long-awaited reports released Thursday call for eliminating race in estimated glomerular filtration rate equations and point to alternatives in an effort to eliminate disparities in chronic kidney disease.
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Study Contradicts Other Research About Potentially Inappropriate Medications Among Older Adults
September 22nd 2021The current study found that those prescribed potentially inappropriate medications were actually less likely to revisit the emergency department within 30 days, in contrast to prior work.
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Spotlighting Pandemic-Related Challenges, Data-Driven Solutions for Payers
September 21st 2021On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we address how delays in routine care and other aspects of the pandemic are affecting payer organizations today, and how technology innovations like natural language processing can work to empower key initiatives in population health and beyond.
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