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The Most-Read News Stories of 2018
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Two of The American Journal of Managed Care®'s top 5 most-read news stories were themselves top-5 roundups of hot topics in healthcare this year. The list was rounded out by cardiovascular, diabetes, and cancer news.
Two of The American Journal of Managed Care'® (AJMC®)’s top 5 most-read news stories were themselves top-5 roundups of hot topics in healthcare. The list was rounded out by cardiovascular, diabetes, and cancer news.
And 2 of the 5 stories were related to health technology, with one providing a general look at wearables and another about the Freestyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system for patients with diabetes.
5. 5 Vulnerable Populations in Healthcare
For vulnerable populations, health and healthcare issues may be exacerbated by social factors; as a result, they experience worse access to care and increased morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. While a number of vulnerable populations exist, these 5 groups experience greater healthcare disparities: those who are chronically ill and disabled; low-income and/or homeless individuals; certain geographical communities; the LGBTQ+ population; and the very young and very old.
4. 5-Year Survival Rates for Patients With Cancer Worldwide
Using a global surveillance program that documents cancer survival trends, researchers determined the 5-year survival rates of patients diagnosed with 18 types of cancer worldwide. CONCORD-3 includes the records of 37.5 million patients diagnosed with cancer from 2000 to 2014, 322 population-based cancer registries in 71 countries and territories, and data on patients’ vital status at least 5 years following diagnosis.
3. ODYSSEY Outcomes Results for Sanofi’s Praluent to Lead Off ACC Meeting
A preview of the 2018 American College of Cardiology meeting, with a focus on the cardiovascular outcomes results for the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab (Praluent) from the ODYSSEY Outcomes trial, was the third most-read story of the year. ODYSSEY sought to determine whether Sanofi-Regeneron’s alirocumab (Praluent) had a superior cardiovascular benefit to Amgen’s evolocumab (Repatha).
2. 5 Things About Wearable Technology in Healthcare
The second most-read story of this year was a look at 5 things to know about wearable technology and healthcare. From consumer gadgets to medical devices that are FDA approved, wearables have implications for cardiology, diabetes, medical adherence, clinical trials, and more.
1. Abbott's Freestyle Libre CGM Gains Medicare Coverage
2018 kicked off with Abbott winning Medicare coverage for its Freestyle Libre CGM system, which requires no regular finger sticks. To receive coverage for therapeutic CGM, a Medicare beneficiary must have type 1 diabetes or be receiving intensive insulin therapy for type 2 diabetes; those eligible must document that their condition requires frequent insulin dosing adjustments, based on checking blood glucose levels at least 4 times a day. Interestingly, Medicare’s 2017 first ruling in favor of CGMs (albeit without allowing the use of smartphones) was the number 1 AJMC® story that year, as well.
