Health Care Delivery

Martina Bebin, MD, MPA, professor of neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center, discussed Infantile Spasms Awareness Week, the strides made within the field, and the emphasis on early and accurate diagnosis.

In 2022, the most-read news about immuno-oncology included an FDA approval for liver cancer, research findings on other potential therapies for liver cancer, a Q&A with a COTA Healthcare executive about how real-world evidence has changed, new possibilities for patients with solid tumors, and more.

Adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in the phase 3 BREEZE-AD7 study showed sustained improvement of AD signs and symptoms after 68 weeks with combination treatment of bariticitinib and topical corticosteroids.

For this analysis, the Japan Pulmonary Hypertension Registry provided data from 2008 to 2021 on patients with diagnosed portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH).

Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, medical director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, explained the mechanism of action for Rebyota, the first fecal transplant therapy approved by the FDA for the prevention of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in individuals 18 years and older, following antibiotic treatment for recurrent CDI.

A research letter examined the clinical presentation, disease severity, associated comorbidities, and management of hidradenitis suppurativa in older adults aged 65 years or older.

Incidence of Parkinson disease in North America was 50% higher than previous estimates of 60,000 diagnoses annually.

Diagnoses of psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, or undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis saw a dramatic decline during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The combination therapy of levodopa and benserazide was associated with a significantly reduced risk of lower urinary tract infections, particularly among women, when compared with another Parkinson disease combination therapy of levodopa and carbidopa.

M. Hossein Kazemi, MD, medical oncologist and hematologist, Astera Cancer Care, identifies key tools in de-escalating treatment for patients with multiple myeloma.

This American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting covered a breakthrough therapy for the management of vitiligo, clinical and epidemiological differences of certain dermatologic diseases, and the role of dietary triggers on patient outcomes.

Korean patients with allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis (AR), and asthma, had a higher risk of cataract surgery, and the combination of AD and AR resulted in the highest risk.

The staff clinician group with access to the Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes model was found to improve their diabetes care quality.

Though a large proportion of patients receiving oral immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergy report gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, a knowledge gap remains for the best approach to determine the underlying etiology and manage symptoms.

Drawing on findings from other countries, including the United States, the group is highlighting the need for a newborn screening program to mitigate these current barriers.

Liz Lightstone, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, professor of Renal Medicine for the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, discussed how sexism and other factors cause certain symptoms of lupus nephritis to be overlooked, contributing to delays in diagnosis and care.

At this year’s American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions, held November 5-7 in Chicago, Illinois, hot topics for discussion included VICTORIA trial data and the great need for new antihypertensive agents to reduce health care disparities.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were clear in the US national health care expenditure analysis of spending last year, as federal spending dropped, but health care use rebounded in 2021.

Non-White patients with hidradenitis suppurativa reported longer delay in diagnosis than their White counterparts. In addition, Black patients did not receive dermatologic care as early in their disease course as other racial groups.

Julia Balmaceda, a medical student at the University of Kansas, discusses the findings of a research project looking at whether racial bias in pulse oximetry was present in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Patients with Parkinson disease who adhered to Mediterranean (MEDI) and Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diets were associated with fewer patient-reported symptoms over time, in which the MIND diet showed greater reductions in symptom severity compared with MEDI.

Use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment (without interferon) was shown to reduce liver and nonliver complications, as well as improve long-term overall survival among patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Jason Ezra Hawkes, MD, MS, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of Dermatology at the University of California Davis in Sacramento, spoke on the advancement in precision medicine within dermatology and what role genetics, research, and immunology can have for care management going forward.

Patients exposed to childhood maltreatment were at greater risk for developing atopic disease compared with unexposed counterparts, and risk of atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis may have been attentuated by misdiagnosis.

The utility of annual MRI plus mammogram was investigated in a new meta-analysis delivered at this year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, with the goal of optimizing use of MRI by considering potential for overdiagnosis and tailoring to age and risk group.

Patients with pemphigus reported lower risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, among other cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes, when treated with rituximab compared with the first-line corticosteroid-sparing agents azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil.

The novel coalition was announced at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Forum, which took place December 4-7 in Orlando, Florida.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise in the United States and have significant health and economic impacts, but pharmacists can help combat the spread as they work with affected patients.

A session at the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition reviewed some trends in the 340B drug pricing programs and Medicaid.

Once patients with HIV start treatment, pharmacists can play a key role in addressing patient accessibility and affordability of HIV treatments and promoting adherence, said Dena Behm Dillon, PharmD, AAHIVP, HIV clinical pharmacy specialist, University of Iowa Health Care.