Authors

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Cardiology eConsults for Medicaid Patients

A randomized trial of eConsults for cardiology referrals from primary care resulted in significant reductions in total cost of care compared with traditional face-to-face consultations.

Hospitalization Risk in Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Dose-Equivalent Antipsychotics

Optimizing Weekend Availability for Sophisticated Tests and Procedures in a Large Hospital

Integrated Care Organizations: Medicare Financing for Care at Home

This paper presents a policy proposal to integrate care for Medicare beneficiaries through creation of integrated care organizations and a Medicare home care benefit.

Obesity: Why Is It Worth Another Look?

Does a Personalized Approach Improve Patient Satisfaction in Thoracic Oncology?

Evaluation of cancer patients’ quality of life at admission enabled improvement of their satisfaction with received care at discharge.

Comparison of Two Systems for Clinical Practice Profiling in Diabetic Care: Medical Records Versus Claims and Administrative Data

Case Study D

Self-Reported Health and Functional Status Information Improves Prediction of Inpatient Admissions and Costs

Among a Medicare population, use of 3 self-reported health items improves predicted inpatient admissions and healthcare costs when used with risk-prediction model.

Identifying Groups of Nonparticipants in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Education

This study describes reasons for nonparticipation in type 2 diabetes mellitus education and identifies typical subgroups of nonparticipants in order to improve recruitment strategies.

The Use of Realized Prices and Real-World Outcomes Data in Assessments of Drug Value

Diabetes Benefit Management: Evolving Strategies for Payers

Variation in US Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing Quality Measures According to Health Plan and Geography

Antibiotic prescribing has become viewed as a patient safety and quality-of-care issue. The authors analyzed quality measures related to appropriate antibiotic prescribing and testing.

Routine Pre-cesarean Staphylococcus aureus Screening and Decolonization: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Routinely screening pregnant women for Staphylococcus aureus colonization and decolonizing carriers before cesarean delivery are unlikely to be cost-effective under current epidemiologic circumstances.

Trends in Opioid and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Use and Adverse Events

Opioid use incidence and prevalence rates decreased with implementation of an opioid safety initiative, whereas nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug rates remained constant. Rates of adverse events were higher among opioid users.

Service Setting Impact on Costs for Bevacizumab-Treated Oncology Patients

For patients with lung or colorectal cancer, bevacizumab treatment patterns and healthcare costs varied by the setting of treatment initiation (physician office vs hospital outpatient).

Randomized Trial of an Electronic Asthma Monitoring System Among New York City Children

Children who used an electronic monitoring system had as many emergency department visits and hospitalizations for asthma as children who used a paper diary.

Reduced Medical Spending Associated With Integrated Pharmacy Benefits

Members covered by an integrated pharmacy benefit (as opposed to a pharmacy carve-out) experienced slower growth in medical spending.

A Managed Care Organization's Use of Integrated Health Management to Improve Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease

Thiazolidinediones in the Treatment of Managed Care Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Treatment of Osteoporosis

Correction Statements

FDA Approves Inebilizumab for Generalized Myasthenia Gravis

Inebilizumab gains FDA approval for treating generalized myasthenia gravis, showing significant improvements in muscle strength and steroid reduction.

Searching for Clinical and Economic Value in Pancreatic Cancer

Introduction

Medicaid Managed Care: Issues for Enrollees With Serious Mental Illness

The authors studied Kansas Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness and their experiences with integrated managed care and unmet needs.

Aligning Evidence With Access: Disability Outcomes, Data, and Payer Decision-Making

Panelists discuss how emerging biomarkers like neurofilament light protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cervical cord atrophy, and phase rim lesions could enable earlier identification of patients at risk for progression, supporting more effective treatment decisions and payer coverage determinations based on longitudinal disability data rather than just relapse activity.

Cancellations in Primary Care in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System

This article examines the prevalence of unused primary care appointments in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.