Health Care Delivery

Addressing the opioid crisis will require a strong, multifaceted approach that includes efforts to prevent addiction before it begins. By passing the NOPAIN Act, Congress can seize the win-win opportunity to reduce unnecessary exposure to opioids, while protecting—and expanding—a patient’s right to choose their own care.

Davey Daniel, MD, chief medical officer, OneOncology, speaks on the knowledge, infrastructure, and payer-related barriers that are limiting the use of genomic testing in the management of patients with lung cancer.

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology, addresses considerations for getting a second COVID-19 booster, or a fourth dose, among survivors of breast cancer or patients currently undergoing treatment as well as those who may be immunocompromised.

Stephen Rozzo, PhD, associate vice president and head, Biologics Medical Affairs, Sun Pharma, North America, spoke on the design of the 2 phase 4 real-world studies investigating severity and quality of life impact of tildrakizumab for the treatment of psoriasis.

Bristol Myers Squibb settles lawsuit on conspiring to block generic competition to HIV drugs; FDA grants emergency use authorization to a novel breath test that can detect COVID-19 within 3 minutes; health savings accounts (HSAs) are being used less effectively by minority and low-income populations.

To mark Black Maternal Health Week, The American Journal of Managed Care® sat down with Breana Lipscomb, the senior advisor of Maternal Health & Rights at the Center for Reproductive rights, to better understand how the United States came to have such poor maternal care, and what can be done to address disparities.

Elaine Siegfried, MD, professor of pediatrics and dermatology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, explains current knowledge on the pathology of atopic dermatitis and use of targeted biologic therapies.

Using data from the National HIV Surveillance System, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the US Census, a team from the CDC investigated lifetime HIV risk in the United States.

It is not yet clear what impact proactive screening might have on health care costs and survival outcomes.

In this contributor piece, the connection between the complexities of mental health and heart disease in at-risk communities is explored, with the authors stressing the importance of risk factor evaluation and multidisciplinary patient education from both mental and physical health providers.

Findings of a survey of large employers indicate that utilization management tools are ineffective in controlling health care costs for employees and may lead to barriers to treatment.

Reduced health-related quality of life was identified in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps compared with the general population—regardless of previous sinus surgery or presence of comorbidities.

This new study used data on women with stage 0 to II breast cancer to investigate their long-term quality of life (QOL) as it related to choice of surgery and the decision to undergo adjuvant radiation therapy.

COVID-19 and overdoses were 2 main factors in the record high 2021 US death rate; nurse practitioners licensed in New York have been granted full authority to practice independently; the Biden administration announced its goal to improve health care in rural areas.

In Medicaid, delivering care needs to address the lack of resources and other socioeconomic factors that impact patients, said Steve Evans, MD, chief medical officer of SilverSummit at Centene.

Improvements in time spent in target range and glycated hemoglobin A1c were investigated among 34 children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with a history of daily insulin use and no prior use of diabetes technology.

White House seeks to reduce medical debt of Americans amid rising inflation; Biden administration asks federal appeals court to resume enforcement of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees; Philadelphia to reimpose mask mandates in indoor public settings.

Patient-reported treatment goals for psoriasis showed varied preferences according to characteristics such as age, severity, and gender, but the top goal overall was to have confidence in the therapy.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Perry N. Halkitis, PhD, MS, MPH, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, discusses training the next generation of public health professionals.

Cross-border acquisition of medications such as antibiotics has long been a practice in US communities bordering Mexico, and a lack of sufficient insurance is one driver of the trend, according to a recent study.

This subanalysis of data from the ECOG-ACRIN E5103 trial evaluated longer-term quality of life (QOL) at the 18-month mark among patients with lymph node–positive or high-risk lymph node–negative breast cancer (BC) who have completed active treatment.

Circulating B cell–activating factor was shown to be a potential biomarker in identifying blood eosinophil counts and risk of postoperative nasal polyp recurrence among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).

This new study evaluated the impact of a virtual endocrinology care program on time in range and outcomes among individuals with poorly controlled diabetes who are novice users of continuous glucose monitoring.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, Chief, Division of Dermatology, Seattle Children's Hospital, discussed how new guidelines issued by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) regarding comorbidity risk in patients with atopic dermatitis will influence the condition's treatment.

Reducing low-value care means saving money, reducing potential harm, and creating room for high-value care to be delivered in the United States.

As promising advances in providing care at home evolve, further research—with special attention to underserved populations—is needed to assess the clinical, equity, and economic impacts and to accelerate implementation where appropriate.

Comparing patients’ experiences with in-home urgent care from community paramedics vs urgent care provided in emergency departments, we found higher satisfaction among patients receiving in-home treatment.

Panelists touted the ability to pay for items and repairs to keep Medicare beneficiaries healthier at home, avoiding potentially costly hospitalizations and complications.

The clinical utility of genomic profiling was demonstrated in patients with advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers whose access to targeted therapies based on tissue-based assay findings was similar to those with non-GI cancers.

Stephen Rozzo, PhD, associate vice president and head, Biologics Medical Affairs, Sun Pharma, North America, explains tildrakizumab’s mechanisms of action in the treatment of psoriasis and how the drug differs from other approved biologics.