The Top 5 Institute for Value-Based Medicine Coverage of 2024

The top IVBM^® coverage of 2024 focused on improving care delivery, addressing obesity, and more. | Image Credit: © AJMC^®

In 2024, the Institute for Value-Based Medicine^® (IVBM®) brought together leading experts to explore transformative strategies in health care. From enhancing obesity and primary care management to addressing health inequities and advocating for metabolic health measures, these discussions underscored the urgent need for innovative, patient-centered solutions in the evolving health care landscape.

Here are the 5 most-viewed pieces of IVBM content from 2024. You can check out all of our IVBM coverage here, and look for any upcoming events you’ll want to attend in 2025 here.

5. Dr Jennifer Vaughn: We Can Provide Aggressive, Effective Treatment, but Help Patients Maintain Quality of Life

Jennifer Vaughn, MD, of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, emphasized in an interview that patients with acute leukemias can receive aggressive treatments while maintaining quality of life, provided the right outpatient support is in place. Vaughn discussed how early discharge after intensive chemotherapy for conditions like acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes can minimize isolation and enhance mental health for both patients and caregivers. With robust outpatient resources, it is possible to balance effective care with a better overall patient experience.

Watch the interview.

4. How Can We Improve Obesity Care in 2024 and Beyond?
Experts at an IVBM event in Cleveland, Ohio, discussed innovative strategies for implementing evidence-based obesity management, including the importance of multidisciplinary programs like UH CINEMA. Presentations addressed the gaps in translating science into practice, the role of policy in shaping obesity care, and the financial barriers posed by high-cost treatments like glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.

Read the article.

3. Health Inequities and SDOH Affect Primary Care Across Insurance Types
At an IVBM event in Phoenix, Arizona, experts from Banner Health, Aetna, and other organizations explored the impact of social determinants of health on primary care across different insurance types. Discussions emphasized the importance of trust, accurate data collection, and community-based initiatives to address health inequities, with programs like Arizona Medicaid's Whole Person Care Initiative and Cigna's Social Determinants Index highlighted as impactful models.

Read the article.

2. Primary Care Delivery Is in Urgent Need of Innovation

Speakers at an IVBM event held in partnership with Optum highlighted the urgent need for innovation in primary care to address inefficiencies, workforce shortages, and rising costs. Discussions covered value-based care models, patient-centered approaches, and artificial intelligence–driven solutions to improve workflows, reduce waste, and enhance care quality while addressing the Quadruple Aim: affordability, quality, patient experience, and workforce satisfaction.

Read the article.

1. Dr Robert Lustig on Pediatric Metabolic Health: “Sugar Is the Alcohol of the Child”
Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, University of California, San Francisco, emphasized the need to shift from measuring obesity via body mass index to assessing cardiometabolic health in children and adults, highlighting sugar's harmful role in metabolic dysfunction and diseases like fatty liver and type 2 diabetes. He advocated for tools like waist circumference, fasting insulin, and alanine aminotransferase levels to monitor cardiometabolic health, urging a focus on metabolic markers rather than weight alone to tackle the obesity crisis effectively.

Watch the interview.