Top 5 Most-Read AJMC® Journal Articles of 2023

In 2023, the most-read articles published in the peer-reviewed The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®) explored predictive models, opioid prescribing, and much more.

Here are the 5 most-read AJMC journal articles in 2023.

The American Journal of Managed Care

5. The Value of Virtual Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Care

In this original research article published in the June issue, the authors describe findings from a counterfactual simulation of the cost savings from reduced absenteeism resulting from virtual physical therapy among working adults with musculoskeletal conditions. They find mean annual savings ranging from $1116 to $1523, as well as the potential for virtual care to facilitate earlier access and better adherence to physical therapy.

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4. Development of a Medicare Plan Dashboard to Promote Health Equity

This Trends From the Field article published in the March issue presents a dashboard allowing health plans to characterize their performance on serving individuals with low income and those in racial/ethnic minority groups. The authors explain the feedback from listening sessions and usability testing that contributed to the dashboard’s feasibility, and they note that this method could be a model for future quality improvement efforts targeting health equity.

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3. Discharge Prescribing and Subsequent Opioid Use After Traumatic Musculoskeletal Injury

In this original research article published in the September issue, investigators describe data showing the effects of discharge opioid supply after surgery for musculoskeletal injury on subsequent opioid use. Patients treated by residents who prescribe greater supplies of opioid pain medications received higher supplies of opioids 7 to 8 months after surgery than patients treated by residents who tend to prescribe less, which could hold implications for reducing chronic opioid use.

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2. Humira: The First $20 Billion Drug

This commentary published in the February issue reviews a House committee’s investigation report on AbbVie’s practices pertaining to adalimumab (Humira) to shed light on the broader dynamics that may hinder competition in the pharmaceutical market. The authors—who note that these strategies are not unique to AbbVie and adalimumab—conclude that policy reform and legal initiatives may stimulate competition and increase access to alternative options such as biosimilars.

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1. Predicting Hospitalizations for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Published in the September issue, this original research article presents a novel algorithm that uses medical claims to identify patients with chronic kidney disease who have a high risk of being hospitalized within 90 days. The authors suggest that this algorithm may be useful as a decision support tool within programs managing patient populations with chronic kidney disease, which is a significant cost driver in Medicare.

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