Allison Inserro

Adolescent 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.

A 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.

Topical 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.

A 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.

Acute 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.

Patients 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.

The FDA has approved the sale of the Dermapace System, the first shock wave device intended to treat diabetic foot ulcers.

A 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.

A recent study found patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) have a higher rate of co-occurring adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

This 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.

Scientists 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.

Finding cancer early is a key step to reducing cancer mortality, and a new study suggests that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act led to more and earlier cancer detection.

Behavioral 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.

A 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.

Contributors 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.

The FDA approved Spark Therapeutics Inc.’s voretigene neparvovec-rzyl (Luxturna), the first gene therapy for inherited vision loss caused by faulty gene mutations.

In 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.

Niall 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.

Examining 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.

The 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.

Commonwealth 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.

Would 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.

A report from the Urban Institute traces CMS' evolving approach to compensating primary care physicians to treat those with multiple chronic conditions.

The 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.

After reporting positive results of a lead investigational digital medicine, a company is planning to file for FDA approval of a video game to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Last 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.

Landmark study shows clot-busting drugs not recommended for most patients with secondary blood clots in the legs.

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.

The FDA approved an injectable form of the drug buprenorphine for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder.

Mortality 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.