Allison is Associate Editorial Director for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The Center for Biosimilars®. She joined AJMC® in 2017. She produces and oversees written, video, and podcast content across several disease states and issues surrounding value-based care and health policy.
She has an MPA from New York University. You can connect with Allison on LinkedIn.
Treating ADHD With Medication Found to Reduce Risk of Sexually Transmitted Infections
January 4th 2018Adolescent and young adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at a higher risk for subsequent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but taking medicine for ADHD can help cut the risk, according to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Read More
Cardiology Study Finds Better Outcomes for Veterans Getting PCI at VA Hospitals
January 3rd 2018A study comparing costs and death rates for veterans obtaining percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) found that when the procedure was performed at a community facility versus one operated by the Veterans Administration, the veteran was more likely to die and the procedure itself was more expensive. However, death rates were similar for elective coronary artery bypass grafts.
Read More
Studies Show Advantages of Topical Analgesics in Chronic Pain Management
January 3rd 2018Topical analgesics were safe and effective at reducing chronic pain, according to a study that also looked at whether or not a subgroup of patients were able to stop using opioids a few months after treatment. About 50% of patients were able to discontinue use of opioids after 3 or 6 months of treatment with pain-relieving analgesics applied directly to the skin, a study reported.
Read More
Smokers Willing to Try E-Cigarettes More Successful at Smoking Less, Study Says
December 31st 2017A small pilot study from the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina found that smokers who are willing to use e-cigarettes tend to smoke less and have increased quit attempts.
Read More
Risk Model Predicts Mortality in Patients With AML
December 31st 2017Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukemia and has a poor 5-year survival rate, especially among older people. Cancer researchers have created a model that can predict mortality after AML treatment, so that it can help guide decision-making for patients and providers.
Read More
Study Quantifies Burden of Atopic Dermatitis on Patients
December 29th 2017Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have a significantly greater risk for additional atopic diseases, as well as significantly greater healthcare resource utilization and total cost compared with adults without AD. The burden of AD was generally comparable to that of psoriasis, although patients with AD reported increased use of emergency room visits compared with patients with psoriasis.
Read More
What Happens When the Uninsured Get Transferred From Private to Public EDs?
December 29th 2017A majority of patients—most uninsured—presenting to a public hospital emergency department (ED) after treatment for the same complaint in another local, but private, ED were indirectly referred to the public one without transferring paperwork or records, incurring repeat testing and raising patient anxiety, according to a study published online ahead of print in the January 2018 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine.
Read More
What Were the Top 5 AJAC® Articles in 2017?
December 27th 2017This year, papers published in The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC®)explored novel notes systems, telemedicine, alternative payment models, specialist consult coordination, and health workforce use within accountable care organizations, in addition to many other topics. These 5 articles exploring the meaning of quality and how to achieve it were the most read from AJAC® in 2017.
Read More
Cellular Communication Discovery Could Pave Way for Improved Neuropathic Pain Treatment
December 24th 2017Scientists from King’s College London uncovered a new mechanism of cellular communication, between neurons and immune cells, in a discovery that could lead to new treatment targets for neuropathic pain.
Read More
Review of Trials Finds Support for Combination ADHD Therapies, but Not Alternative Treatments
December 21st 2017Behavioral therapy combined with stimulants is more effective and tolerable than other treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a recently published review and network meta-analysis of 190 randomized trials. The review did not find evidence to support cognitive training, neurofeedback, antidepressants, antipsychotics, dietary therapy, fatty acids, and other complementary and alternative medicine.
Read More
CSRs Out of Final Spending Bill as Collins Reportedly Loses in Fight Between Ryan, McConnell
December 21st 2017A pledge made to US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to support funding for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) in exchange for her yes vote on the GOP tax bill fell apart Wednesday, apparently because House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to allow the funding to be included in this year’s spending package, slated to be voted on Friday.
Read More
Insights From Top 5 AJMC.com Contributor Articles of 2017
December 20th 2017Contributors to AJMC.com delved into data to share their knowledge about important topics in managed care, and in 2017, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.
Read More
Researchers Discover Genetic Profile Unique to Dementia With Lewy Bodies
December 17th 2017In a discovery that could potentially pave the way for more targeted treatments, researchers announced that dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has a unique genetic profile, separate from those of Alzheimer disease or Parkinson disease (PD). Researchers also found that DLB has heritability traits similar to PD.
Read More
"Data Nerd" Niall Brennan Showcases HCCI Changes to NJ Policy Makers
December 14th 2017Niall Brennan, president of the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) and former CMS data chief, compared examples of national trends in spending, price, and utilization with the same trends in New Jersey to illustrate the power of data in a recent discussion with Garden State policy makers about data and transparency.
Read More
Rain and Pain Not Related, Harvard Researchers Say
December 14th 2017Examining insurance claims from millions of doctors' visits with daily rainfall totals from thousands of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather stations showed that there is no relationship between rainy weather and joint pain or an achy back, according to new research from Harvard Medical School.
Read More
FDA Releases Tool to Help Providers Make Better Prescribing Decisions for Antibiotics, Antifungals
December 14th 2017The FDA announced a website tool aimed at healthcare providers to help them make more educated prescribing decisions about antibiotics in an effort to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria.
Read More
Researchers Say Medicare Advantage Plans Need Better Incentives to Meet Future Demand
December 13th 2017Commonwealth Fund researchers said Medicare Advantage plans will need enhanced incentives to make sure that high-quality care is provided at lower cost, as the number of beneficiaries in these plans is expected to climb by 2027.
Read More
University, Genetics Firm Find Link Between ADHD, Delay Discounting
December 13th 2017Would you rather have $60 today or $75 next month? Using similar questions, researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and 23andMe Inc. found a genetic signature for delay discounting that overlaps with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), smoking, and weight.
Read More
ICER Seeking Public Comment About Migraine, Plaque Psoriasis Treatments
December 11th 2017The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is seeking public comment on its review of 3 calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors for prevention of migraine, as well as an update to its 2016 report on treatments for plaque psoriasis.
Read More
After Years of Research Into Dissatisfaction With Quality Measures, Is CMS Listening?
December 8th 2017Last week, CMS announced its “Meaningful Measures” initiative, seeking to streamline quality and cost measures. The sheer number of quality measures have soared over the last decade, and CMS said that part of its reasoning is to reduce the burden of quality reporting on healthcare providers so they can spend more time with patients. The burden of reporting such measures have long been noted to increase the stress on healthcare providers­.
Read More
The rate of healthcare spending in the United States slowed down last year to levels previously seen between 2008-2015, driven by much slower growth in spending for retail prescription drugs, as well as hospital care and physician and clinical services. Private payers, Medicaid, and Medicare­ also saw lower rates of spending growth.
Read More
Who's Dying in Hospitals From Opioids? Major Study Says Disabled, Low-Income Whites on Medicare
December 5th 2017Mortality rates from opioid-driven hospitalizations in the United States quadrupled over 2 decades, especially among older, white, low-income populations, according to a study published in Health Affairs. The analysis showed that people enrolled in Medicare, and not those in Medicaid, accounted for the fastest-growing share of opioid and heroin poisoning.
Read More