AJMC® Research Roundup: November 2018

Hi, I’m Christina Mattina for The American Journal of Managed Care^®. Here are 5 findings from research published in the November issue.

A Randomized, Pragmatic, Pharmacist-Led Intervention Reduced Opioids Following Orthopedic Surgery

1. A pharmacist-led intervention that included mailed brochures and follow-up telephone calls post surgery successfully reduced opioid prescribing after hip replacement, but not knee replacement.

Patients' Adoption of and Feature Access Within Electronic Patient Portals

2. Patients who are racial minorities or older than 70 years are significantly less likely to access most online patient portal features, indicating that overreliance on these portals for patient engagement could exacerbate current disparities.

Cost of Pharmacotherapy for Opioid Use Disorders Following Inpatient Detoxification

3. The modest costs of medication management for opioid use are mainly driven by factors like medication costs and visit frequency, but some patients may experience cost-related barriers to treatment.

Impact of Dementia on Costs of Modifiable Comorbid Conditions

4. Fifteen comorbid conditions were more prevalent and more costly per person among Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer disease and other dementias than those without, indicating areas of focus for population health management efforts.

Overdose Risk for Veterans Receiving Opioids From Multiple Sources

5. Veterans who fill opioid prescriptions through the Veterans Health Administration and other pharmacies have higher odds of nonfatal opioid overdose and all-cause mortality than those who use VHA pharmacies only, highlighting the importance of care coordination.

To read all of these studies and more, visit AJMC.com.