Health Care Delivery

The Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) conference, taking place in a hybrid format September 23-24, 2021, provides a space for oncologists, payers, health care system leaders, and others to delve into different possibilities to improve care, according to Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Oncology™ and co-chair of the meeting.

Medicare beneficiaries with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis were found to pay high annual out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for treatment, which researchers attributed to rising drug prices and reliance on co-insurance for patient cost-sharing.

Looking forward to the 10th anniversary of the Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) conference, taking place in a hybrid format September 23-24, 2021, Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Oncology™, and co-chair of the meeting, discusses the takeaways that attendees can expect to hear about in the areas of patient care, payment and quality, and multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists.

The fallout from COVID-19 has spotlighted the limitations of US mental health care, prompting the question if alternative treatments—like psychedelics—could help address current and impending crises.

COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated cost billions between June and August; the Department of Justice called for a temporary block on the Texas abortion law; legislators limited the power of public health officials in at least 26 states, a report shows.

Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) was first approved for use in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in 2015.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the lead clinician of a study by the Epic Health Research Network and Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that routine medical care and hospital admissions remained below expected levels in the early months of 2021, marking the second consecutive year for such results.

Psychological and emotional needs specific to populations with cancer are often overlooked in clinical research, including those of adolescents, young adults, immigrants, and people of lower socioeconomic status.

Patients with chronic liver diseases have been at a high risk of more severe COVID-19 outcomes, but the pandemic has meant the management of these diseases has received less attention.

President Joe Biden plans to announce new steps aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19; spotlighting the rise of unsubstantiated diagnoses and subsequent drugging in nursing homes; CDC report finds unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

Innovative therapies for rare diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), when paid for by public budgets in the European Union and elsewhere, are often managed by agreements between payers and drug companies, but details can be hard to discern.

Rajesh Rajpal, MD, chief medical officer, global head of clinical medical affairs, Johnson & Johnson Vision, discusses the surgical options available to patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Discontinued use and high dosage of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors in combination with metformin was shown to increase risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in patients with type 2 diabetes compared with those given only metformin.

In a recent study, researchers were able to show how different evolutionary forces in aging blood stem cells impact whether or not someone develops acute myeloid leukemia (AML), offering insight into those at higher risk of the disease.

An emphasis on transitions of care should ensure the highest level of care for patients and provide support to physicians.

Students in grades 3 to 7 who were given eyeglasses as part of a school-based vision program were found to achieve better reading scores and exhibit improved academic achievement over 1 year.

Neuropalliative care is an emerging field for those with conditions such as Parkinson disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and other diseases, but access to care remains limited, according to a recent survey.

Data from 2 patient cohorts show that by increasing awareness of such influences as clinic location and patient age and transgender status, gaps in prescription decisions for integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) can be lessened.

After a month of stable utilizations, use of telehealth services dropped 10% in June 2021, according to Robin Gelburd, JD, president of FAIR Health.

In part 2 of a 2-part series, we look at the mental health risks affecting 9/11 rescuers, the lessons learned that apply to health care workers during the current pandemic, as well as continued barriers to care.

The Department of Labor rules will affect employers with 100 or more workers.

The administration said it would make the results of its drug price negotiations with manufacturers, as well as its approach to value-based care models, open to a variety of payers.

Findings of a phase 2b study indicated that use of tildrakizumab was associated with significant improvements in joint and skin manifestations of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), although improvement in symptoms of dactylitis and enthesitis were not observed.

In part 1 of a 2-part series, we look at the current physical and mental health risks first responders and survivors of the 9/11 attacks continue to face, as well as unmet needs that may warrant future intervention.

Symptoms of late-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were more controlled when patients received palliative care, according to the Swedish study.

Two posters reviewed impairment after COVID-19 infection and the use of pulmonary rehabilitation to address the symptoms.

A review of cases using MRI with and without contrast agent found perfect or near-perfect agreement in most cases when evaluating patients with short stature for growth hormone deficiency.

South Dakota executive order controls distribution of abortion medication and telemedicine abortions; some states receive funds to improve access to affordable health insurance; Idaho activates “crisis standards of care” due to volume of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

Researchers have found that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused potentially millions of children to miss routine vaccines. During a time of back-to-school excitement and reversals of transmission prevention efforts in some states, children may be at risk of facing a slew of non-COVID-19 viral outbreaks.

Health care and research need to do a better job of taking into account sex and gender differences that can affect disease, healthy behaviors, and care delivery, according to speakers at the European Respiratory Society International Congress 2021.