Christina is the associate editorial director of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC), and joined AJMC in 2016. She oversees the publication of the print journals, from manuscript submission to publication, and works with the editors in chief and editorial boards to promote the journals.
She has a BS in public health from Rutgers University. You can connect with Christina on LinkedIn.
5 Things to Know About Essential Health Benefits
March 24th 2017As House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, and President Donald Trump endeavored to round up enough Republican votes to pass the American Health Care Act this week, a major sticking point for some reluctant GOP legislators was the inclusion of the Affordable Care Act’s essential health benefits in the replacement bill. Reports indicate that the essential health benefits requirement will be cut from the bill that will go to the House for a vote today.
Read More
Integrated Healthcare in Housing for Elderly Lowered Inpatient Stays, Readmissions
March 23rd 2017An innovative housing model for seniors that incorporates healthcare within the residential environment contributed to lowered rates of both inpatient hospitalizations and readmissions, according to a recent study.
Read More
Benefits of Letting Patients Set Agenda Before Primary Care Visit
March 22nd 2017As more health systems aim to engage patients in their own healthcare, a new study has found that letting patients type their agenda into their electronic medical record before a visit improved communication between patients and physicians.
Read More
Mobile App Interventions Can Effectively Change Pediatric Health Outcomes
March 21st 2017According to a review of 37 studies, health interventions delivered to children and teens through mobile apps have significant potential to boost healthy behaviors and improve disease outcomes in this population.
Read More
Doctors Who Consult Online Drug Database Quicker to Prescribe New Generics
March 20th 2017A new study has found that clinicians who used an electronic drug reference database at the point of care tended to prescribe a more varied range of medications and started to prescribe new generic drugs faster than other doctors.
Read More
Catching a Cold Poses Risk of Symptom Exacerbation in COPD Patients
March 17th 2017For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), catching a cold is often more than just an annoyance; their risk of experiencing COPD symptom exacerbation rises 30-fold when they exhibit signs of a cold.
Read More
Electronic Opioid Prescribing as a Tool for Reducing Excess Pill Supply
March 15th 2017Atul Gawande, MD, has penned an article in the Annals of Surgery calling for his fellow surgeons to do their part in reducing the supply of excess prescription painkillers by embracing new technologies that would allow them to prescribe opioids electronically.
Read More
Cystic Fibrosis Survival in US Lags 10 Years Behind Canada, Researchers Find
March 14th 2017A concerning new study has found a significant gap in survival for cystic fibrosis patients in the United States and Canada. The 10-year advantage observed in Canadian patients could partially be explained by disparities in the countries’ healthcare systems, the researchers suggested.
Read More
Novel Immune Biomarker for Crohn's Disease Could Accelerate Diagnosis
March 14th 2017Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute have collaborated to identify biological markers in the blood of patients with Crohn’s disease, spurring optimism that a simple blood test could be developed to accurately diagnose the disease.
Read More
Messaging Strategies to Enhance Patients' Vague Understanding of Low-Value Care
March 13th 2017Low-value care and its detrimental effects have become a hot topic among medical professionals in recent years, but a new study suggests that many patients many not be aware of why the concept matters or what the term even means.
Read More
Oncology Medical Homes, Patient Navigators Improved Quality and Saved Costs at End of Life
March 13th 2017A recent study in Health Affairs assessed cost and utilization outcomes for 3 innovative care models for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer: oncology medical homes, patient navigator programs, and palliative care initiatives.
Read More
Exercise and Psychological Interventions Most Effective for Cancer-Related Fatigue
March 8th 2017A review of research on the effectiveness of several treatments for cancer-related fatigue determined that exercise and psychological interventions resulted in more significant improvements than pharmaceutical regimens.
Read More
VBID Benefit Helps Patients Maintain Adherence After Switch to High-Deductible Plan
March 7th 2017A study on the impact of a value-based pharmacy benefit on medication adherence found that offering free chronic disease medications maintained patients’ levels of adherence even after switching to a health plan with a deductible.
Read More
Senators Warren, Grassley Call for Allowing Over-the-Counter Sale of Hearing Aids
March 6th 2017Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, put their political differences aside to collaborate on a JAMA Internal Medicine Viewpoint article that called for allowing hearing aids to be sold over the counter.
Read More
Part D Subsidies Can Help Reduce Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Persistence
March 6th 2017A recent study has found that low-income subsidies under the Medicare Part D program can help improve rates of persistence and adherence to breast cancer therapies among Hispanic and black women.
Read More
Infographic: What's Driving the Opioid Crisis - And How to Fight It
March 5th 2017The epidemic of opioid abuse across America is the result of a complex interplay of social, financial, and behavioral factors, leaving communities with no easy solutions. Experts who discussed the crisis with The American Journal of Managed Care® offered their opinions on what's driving the crisis and what can be done to help fight it.
Read More
Neediest Diabetes Patients Can Benefit Most From Health Coaching Initiatives
March 3rd 2017Health coaching for diabetes patients increased diabetes knowledge in all participants, but the most significant clinical improvements were seen in those who had been faring poorly at baseline, according to the newly published results of a chronic disease management program in Australia
Read More
Primary Care Appointment Availability Increased for New Medicaid Patients Under ACA
March 1st 2017Despite concerns that an influx of newly insured patients from the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act could make it more difficult for new patients to get a primary care appointment, availability remained stable for privately insured patients and actually increased for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Read More
After Heart Attack, Not Enough Survivors Getting Recommended Exercise
February 28th 2017Clinical guidelines suggest that adequate physical activity after an acute coronary syndrome event is a key component of preventing reoccurrence, but a recent study found disappointingly low levels of compliance with these recommendations.
Read More
Infographic: Poll Finds Americans Split on Trusted Media for Health Law News
February 26th 2017A new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll that asked Americans their opinion on the future of the US healthcare system found the country is deeply divided, but not only on questions of health policy. Americans also have widely varying feelings on which media sources they can trust for healthcare news — if they can trust any at all.
Read More