Christina is the managing editor 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.
Using Patient-Reported Distress to Guide the Timing of Palliative Care Conversations
September 6th 2017After presenting research on the use of a patient-reported distress survey to guide the timing of palliative care discussions, lead author Stuart Goldberg, MD, chief scientific officer for Cota, Inc, discussed how it represents a shift in the paradigm of end-of-life conversations.
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Study Indicates "Welcome Mat" Effects of Medicaid Expansion on Children's Coverage
September 6th 2017New research suggests that the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act was linked to gains in coverage among children who were already eligible, indicating a "welcome mat" effect.
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ICER Evaluates Cost-Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapies for Chronic Pain
September 2nd 2017A new draft report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) indicates that cognitive and mind-body therapies may be valuable additions to usual care for chronic back and neck pain, but that more evidence is needed to understand the cost-effectiveness implications for both conditions.
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FDA Emphasizes Risks of Pembrolizumab in Multiple Myeloma After Reviewing Halted Trials
September 1st 2017Less than 2 months after it ordered a stop to 3 trials of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in multiple myeloma due to safety concerns, the FDA has released a more detailed analysis of what went wrong in these trials.
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Association Found Between Walking Test Performance and Patient-Reported Outcomes in COPD
August 31st 2017Among the many exercise tests used to assess patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a 6-minute walking test was most strongly associated with patient-reported outcomes and quality of life.
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Race, Socioeconomic Status Linked to Rehospitalizations Among Patients With Advanced Cancer
August 30th 2017A new study finds that individuals with advanced cancer have high rates of hospitalization in the year after diagnosis. Palliative care aimed at preventing hospital admissions may be a useful tool, especially for the populations most at risk of rehospitalization.
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Texas Hospitals Use Social Networks to Seek Volunteer Nurses for Hurricane Relief Efforts
August 30th 2017Through the power of social media, hospitals in Texas are asking nurses from across the country to lend a hand in assisting the overwhelmed staff who have been working overtime to care for survivors of Hurricane Harvey.
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Texas, Coping With Public Health Emergency After Hurricane Harvey, Asks Payers for Flexibility
August 28th 2017The state of Texas remains in a public health emergency after the landfall of Hurricane Harvey as first responders rush to meet emergency medical needs and officials urge insurers to loosen restrictions on care delivery.
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Gilead Sciences Announces $11.9 Billion Purchase of CAR-T Developer Kite Pharma
August 28th 2017Gilead Sciences will acquire Kite Pharma by the end of 2017 in an $11.9 billion transaction that will place Gilead at the forefront of chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapy development.
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CBO Releases Letter Defending Its AHCA Analysis and Integrity
August 25th 2017In response to the questions raised about its objectivity and the methodology of its projections, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a letter defending the impartiality of its work and explaining how it estimated the impact of House Republicans’ proposed healthcare bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
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Liraglutide Gains New Indication for Reducing CV Event Risk
August 25th 2017Novo Nordisk announced that its diabetes drug liraglutide (Victoza) has been approved by the FDA for a new indication: it can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and existing CV disease.
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5 Strategies From National Immunization Awareness Month to Boost Vaccination Rates
August 25th 2017Several studies and commentaries published during National Immunization Awareness Month have addressed strategies to bring the vaccine coverage rate higher. Here are 5 promising tactics discussed this month for boosting immunization rates.
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Report Analyzes Advantages, Drawbacks of Small Businesses' Health Benefits
August 24th 2017A new report finds that small businesses in the US are offering health benefits that are competitive with those offered by larger employers, but that workers at the smallest companies tend to pay higher premium costs.
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Predictive Tool Could Target Patients at Risk of Hypoglycemia-Related Utilization
August 24th 2017Researchers have outlined a 6-item risk stratification tool that successfully predicted the likelihood that patients with diabetes will have a hypoglycemia-related emergency department visit or hospital admission.
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MACRA Proposal Comment Period Draws Suggestions From Groups, Individual Providers
August 23rd 2017With the comment period now concluded, CMS has received nearly 1300 comments on its proposed amendments to the Quality Payment Program established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
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Implementing Reference Pricing Led to Changes in Drug Selection, Lower Spending
August 22nd 2017A reference pricing initiative was linked to more prescription fills of lowest-priced drugs and a decreased average price per prescription, but higher rates of copayments by patients, a new study finds.
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Eye Experts Remind Public to Take Safety Precautions When Viewing Solar Eclipse
August 21st 2017As observers across the United States prepare to witness a rare solar eclipse this afternoon, ophthalmologists are making sure the importance of vision safety is not overshadowed by the excitement.
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