Christina Mattina

A new study has found that an educational program can help ease worries associated with palliative care, and make cancer patients more likely to use it if referred.

Atul 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.

A new economic study has found that cancer types that were the focus of articles receiving public or private research support had fewer hospitalizations and lower mortality.

A 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.

Researchers 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.

Low-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.

A 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.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a higher risk of falls, which a new study suggests could be explained by their altered walking patterns compared with healthy controls.

When people with diabetes experience symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, their risk of mortality increases-particularly for men with only depressive symptoms.

Researchers have identified another high associated with marijuana use: the risk of heart failure and cerebrovascular accidents.

A 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.

A 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.

Senators 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.

A 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.

The 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.

Health 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

A pair of research briefs recently released by the Urban Institute explored trends in past-due medical debt in the US and whether its occurrence is linked to financial literacy.

The incidence of colorectal cancer continues to decline for older Americans, but researchers have noticed a significant uptick in prevalence among young adults.

Despite 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.

Clinical 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.

A study of 3 low-cost pill reminder devices found that their use did not meaningfully increase medication adherence among the patients who had received them.

A recent cost-effectiveness analysis of 4 colorectal cancer screening initiatives found that some strategies may be more valuable than others in reducing screening disparities.

A 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.

A study of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worldwide found that higher self-reported symptom burden was associated with more severe impairment of work and activities, as well as increased utilization of healthcare services.

Patients treated by primary care providers with a high volume of patients experienced worse management of their disease. However, if a physician specifically treated a higher number of diabetics, the quality of the diabetes care received by patients was significantly higher.

Over 65,000 ineligible providers have been culled from the Medicaid program due to a component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires periodic recertification of eligibility.

At the 5th annual Patient-Centered Oncology Care® meeting, stakeholders shared their views on how bundled payments, clinical pathways, and other value-based approaches can be implemented in cancer care while ensuring adequate care quality.

Panelists from diverse vantage points in the cancer care landscape discussed the effects of cost sharing on patients in a discussion at the 5th annual Patient-Centered Oncology Care® meeting.

A recent literature review, examining evidence on lifestyle changes that can reduce the risk of recurrence or death for women diagnosed with breast cancer, found that exercise can reduce the risk of both outcomes.

A popular strategy to help stem the tide of opioid-related deaths has been the implementation of laws that expand access to naloxone, the drug that halts and reverses overdoses. A recent paper has found that these laws did in fact save lives.