Providers

Using vorinostat with pembrolizumab can help improve the efficacy of the immunotherapy in non–small cell lung cancer.

There are less surprises in the results for performance period 4 of the Oncology Care Model, and practices seem to be mostly happier with how they’ve done, said Mike Fazio, senior vice president of client services, Archway Health.

An Expanded Treatment Protocol study that provided expanded access of the FDA-approved ruxolitinib, which treats polycythemia vera (PV) in patients who are intolerant or resistant to hydoxyurea, affirmed the safety and efficacy findings of the trials used for approval.

Out-of-network billing continues to become more common for patients with private insurance even when seeking treatment at in-network hospitals, which creates a financial strain for many patients, according to study results published by JAMA Internal Medicine.

There are 4 primary areas in which today’s new breed of patient engagement technologies help health systems enhance their reporting and glean more insight from their electronic health records to modernize patient access, automate patient-provider communications, and grow their business in the process.

Patients with complex needs may need more complex solutions to manage their health issues. Innovations in technology and integration of data have made it possible to improve patient interactions with the pharmacy to better manage their diseases. The American Journal of Managed Care® recently spoke with Christine Sawicki, senior director, specialty product development and innovation, CVS Health, about the impact new technology can have on patient experience, health outcomes, and drug spending.

The cost of radiation oncology services has typically been a small part of the Medicare and Medicaid budget, but with more patients having complex radiation treatments, it is becoming more important to have alternative payment models in the space, said Shalom Kalnicki, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, professor and chairman, radiation oncology, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance is a diagnosis of exclusion, but even once it has been identified, patients should not obsess over this precancerous condition, said Ajai Chari, MD, associate professor of medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mount Sinai Hospital.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who had disease progression on multiple therapies may benefit from treatment with the oral therapies selinexor and dexamethasone.

New and effective antibiotics are rarely prescribed in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections, which are a family of the most drug-resistant bacteria.

A case report of a 35-year-old woman with chronic migraine who had a 2-year history of severe pain that did not improve with medical therapy showed that peripheral nerve field stimulation could safely treat chronic migraine.

When seniors with cancer are being treated with combination therapies, providers need to keep in mind more than just the complex regimens they’re administering, said Ginah Nightingale, PharmD, associate professor of pharmacy practice at Jefferson College of Pharmacy.

Research has shown disparities in multiple myeloma treatment between clinical trials and real-world outcomes, as well as a lot of heterogeneity among treatment patterns by age and region, said Ajai Chari, MD, associate professor of medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mount Sinai Hospital.

Fatal adverse events (AEs) associated with alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis (MS) may occur more frequently than previously understood based on past published literature, researchers found.

Women who reach menopause at an early age had a 31% increased risk of all-cause mortality if they had ever used hormone replacement therapy.

Outside of breast cancer, cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors have not been as successful as tumors develop resistance. New research shows that a murine double minute (MDM2) antagonist can help CDK4/6 inhibitors overcome resistance, offering a potential second-line treatment option in melanoma.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

Value-based programs such as accountable care organizations appear to encourage the adoption and spread of care coordination activities by hospitals.

The Department of Homeland Security said that it was promoting the ideals of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, industriousness, and perseverance, but it also acknowledged that the vast majority of the 266,000-plus commenters on the rule opposed the change and noted that some people may decide to drop out of benefit programs.

The survey aimed to better understand the perceptions, experiences, and educational needs of patients who have nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson disease as well as their caregivers.

Orphan drug status applies to therapies that will treat fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States.

Nasal glucagon is seen as a game-changing delivery method to replace the multistep system of mixing powder and liquid with a simple, 1-step spray.

Several physician and payer characteristics are associated with physician satisfaction with health plans. There is opportunity to improve physician satisfaction with payers, specifically in pharmacy.

From 2013 to 2017, the population of US patients prescribed treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) changed, becoming predominantly treatment-naïve and having received care in nonacademic centers.

The prices of targeted oncology therapies have grown substantially, but revenues have not. This is due in part to large declines in per-drug patient counts.

This study explores the causes of emotionally adverse patient experiences in cancer care and presents a taxonomy for analyzing free-text patient data.

Changing patients from an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β agonist (LABA) inhaler and long-acting muscarinic agonist (LAMA) inhaler to a LAMA/LABA inhaler and a separate ICS inhaler did not appear to affect patient-reported chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) symptom scores.

HHS released 2 long-awaited rules meant to transform how health records and medical claims are delivered and communicated, with one aimed at aggregating electronic health records and claims information into an interoperable mobile format that patients could call up on their devices and another that would require that access to electronic health information come at no cost to the patient and end information blocking.

The year 2019 will finally be when the healthcare industry, particularly payers and providers, finally begins to catch up to other industries in terms of giving the consumer what they want.

For hospitals and other healthcare professionals, mobile apps represent the future of healthcare communication. If your facility isn’t already using apps or isn’t seriously evaluating them, your organization is behind the adoption curve.