Health Care Delivery

President Joe Biden will provide an update today on his administration’s response to the Omicron COVID-19 variant; marked rise in lung transplants for patients with COVID-19 sparks ethical questions; an independent panel of experts will advise FDA tomorrow on the use of Merck’s COVID-19 antiviral pill.

Ian J. Neeland, MD, FACC, FAHA, is co-director of the Center for Integrated and Novel Approaches in Vascular-Metabolic Disease for University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and director of the UH Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Here, he explains how sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors can treat metabolic physiologic effects of sleep apnea.

Use of biologics and age may influence risk of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) development in patients with psoriasis, according to findings presented at the 2021 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting.

Robert J. Hopkin, MD, clinical geneticist, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, details various known and understudied health-related quality-of-life factors in patients with Fabry disease.

Improving clinical care is only one element of the 360-degree, holistic treatment that is necessary to achieve patient equity, not equality, in patients with chronic kidney disease. Biology, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status are 3 areas in which inequities often have a particularly negative impact on a carefully constructed care plan.

The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) recently released its 2021 Report on Affordability. In this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the organization about the steps that its payer members are taking to lower costs through offerings such as virtual-first care, remote patient monitoring, and other new products, some of which were created because of the pandemic.

Discussions regarding health equity and access to care have long been implicated in breast cancer. Here, key opinion leaders discuss the latest progress in clinical trial access, digital therapeutics, and other efforts that aim to ameliorate these care gaps.

A new analysis of data from the HOMAGE study addresses previous mixed results on the use of aspirin among patients who may be at risk of heart failure (HF).

Low- and middle-income countries that hosted completed COVID-19 vaccine trials received disproportionately fewer doses than high-income counterparts; mental health apps indicated to increase uptake in underserved men; CDC report finds notable stillbirth risk in pregnant women with COVID-19.

The announcement of a "strategic refresh" for payment models under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation offered no details on what practices should expect when the Oncology Care Model (OCM) expires in 2022.

A report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation confirmed that practices within the US Oncology Network and Tennessee Oncology participating in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) program have contributed significant savings to the agency.

Daniel Greer, PharmD, BCPP, clinical assistant professor, Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, discusses the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a first-line treatment for chronic insomnia and barriers limiting its use.

Although acute promyelocytic leukemia is highly treatable in early stages, the medication needed stop hematologic emergencies, all-trans retinoic acid, is often not available, a new study says.

The FDA decision was followed by a CDC advisory panel meeting Friday, and as expected, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, who has spoken in favor of booster shots, signed off on the plan.

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

Robert J. Hopkin, MD, clinical geneticist, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, discusses current and emerging therapeutic and technological advancements in the management of Fabry disease.

Adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV among Black sexual minority men who have sex with men remains below that of their White counterparts, as does the resulting viral suppression.

Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of dermatology, director of clinical research and patch testing, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, explains efficacy and safety implications of JAK inhibitor use for atopic dermatitis.

To guide its growth and its forays into home-based care, SCAN Group recently announced a Diversification Advisory Council, a group of 6 leaders from inside and outside health care with expertise in health care technology, reimbursement, and consumer engagement.

Phase 3 findings of the DISCOVER-2 trial presented at the 2021 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting indicated that guselkumab (Tremfya) provided long-term improvement in joint manifestations, disease activity, and physical function among patients with psoriatic arthritis who had no prior biologic treatment.

For select patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, an academic urban hospital implemented an observation pathway that incorporated mobile health technology, reducing hospital length of stay by more than 2 days.

Adriaan Voors, MD, professor of cardiology and director of the Heart Failure Clinic, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, addresses the lack of prescribing for sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors during hospitalization for acute heart failure by highlighting their benefits and that they are part of guideline-directed treatment.

Neck circumference may serve as a suitable alternative to waist circumference when gauging cardiometabolic risks, outside of body mass index and waist circumference, among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

For trastuzumab and bevacizumab, biosimilars now represent a high share of administrations, but payer policies still hinder uptake of these products, the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) reports.

Appeals court affirms decision to place a hold on the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large employers; rising Medicare premiums linked with controversial Alzheimer drug; 3 states expand COVID-19 booster shot eligibility to all adults.

Emergency department utilization for nonemergent ophthalmic conditions is on the rise in the United States, but presentation types vary significantly based on patient demographics, according to 2 posters presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2021 meeting.

Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, explains the connections between health care equity and advances in treatment for heart failure and how the United States' policy and science agenda can address them.

A discussion at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2021 Virtual Congress: Biomarkers in Solid Tumors addressed the advantages and considerations for broad and targeted genomic profiling in oncology.

Real-world patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were shown to exhibit impaired efficacy with guselkumab treatment if they had history of prior biologic use, particularly anti-interleukin (IL)-17 exposure, with heavier patients linked with delayed onset of therapeutic response.

Leslie Kantor, PhD, MPH, chair and professor of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health, discusses the key messages that people need to hear about the continued importance of the flu vaccine, even if they have been immunized for COVID-19.