August 2020

We present results of an analysis of IBM MarketScan databases that evaluates treatment patterns and health care costs for treatment-naïve patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Changes in generic drug appearance occur often. Patients’ and pharmacists’ responses to those changes vary, with some patients stopping their medication or using it less.

Distinguishing between need and receipt of integrated services reveals that mental health care improves the likelihood of medication adherence among people living with HIV.

Analysis of a large, nationally representative claims database to longitudinally monitor enrollees with hepatitis B showed that 36% received recommended care and 18% were prescribed treatment.

This study analyzed annual trends in the distribution of beneficiaries entering each benefit phase, drug utilization, and expenditures among Part D beneficiaries from 2008 to 2015.

Discharge before noon was associated with longer length of stay in patients with medical diagnoses and shorter length of stay in surgical patients.

The Veterans Health Administration implemented primary care intensive management for high-risk patients. Impacts of this program on patients’ medication adherence and adjustments were modest.

In the process of implementing a new practice guideline for treating patients with diabetes, physicians with higher patient volumes are more likely to adhere to the guideline recommendation.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the journal, each issue in 2020 will include an interview with a health care thought leader. The August issue features a conversation with Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

When comparing risk-adjustment approaches based on Medicaid status of Medicare beneficiaries, this analysis found that predicted spending levels varied depending on states’ Medicaid eligibility criteria.

This article gives recommendations for individual hemodialysis centers worldwide to ensure the safety and effectiveness of patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis based on the experience of such a patient with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Sichuan province of China.

In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, clinical registries and innovative virtual care delivery tools should be leveraged to engage populations in effective chronic disease management.

Admission rates during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic were lower than in 2019 for acute medical conditions, suggesting that patients may be deferring necessary medical care.