AJMC® in the Press, August 11, 2017

An article on RevCycleIntelligence.com covered the findings of a study published in the July issue of The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®). The research, “Predicting High-Cost Privately Insured Patients Based on Self-Reported Health and Utilization Data,” found that patient-reported health measures are reasonable predictors of future healthcare costs. According to the RevCycleIntelligence.com article, these reports can help fill the gaps in data from claims and electronic health records that can occur when patients switch insurance plans or physicians.

The results of another July 2017 AJMC^® study were touted in a press release from the University of Southern California. In “The Price May Not Be Right: The Value of Comparison Shopping for Prescription Drugs,” researchers from the school found that shopping around for the best drug price “can yield considerable cost savings,” considering the widely varying prices observed. “Our study suggests that consumers can do two things to save money: Shop online at websites like GoodRx or go to your local independent pharmacist,” co-author Neeraj Sood, PhD, said in a statement.

“Asthma is one of the most expensive chronic diseases for providers, payers, and patients,” according to a RevCycleIntelligence.com article that highlighted how one small asthma clinic achieved a return on investment while improving patient outcomes. These benefits were described in a study from the July issue of AJMC^® that examined the adoption of the Breathmobile program in a pediatric clinic. The authors of the study, “Adaptation of an Asthma Management Program,” found that hospitalizations decreased by 92% after its implementation.

An article on PatientEngagementHIT.com on “4 Pros and Cons of Digital Patient Health Data Access” began with a simple pro: patients enjoy it. To illustrate this point, it cited a study published in the April 2017 issue of AJMC^®, “Patients’ Preferences for Receiving Laboratory Test Results,” which found that 98% of participants would like to receive a text message when their test results were ready. “Healthcare providers should consider their patients’ preferences for accessing their medical information when forming opinions about open data access,” the PatientEngagementHIT.com article concluded.