Laura is the vice president of content for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and all its brands, including Population Health, Equity & Outcomes; Evidence-Based Oncology™; and The Center for Biosimilars®. She has been working on AJMC since 2014 and has been with AJMC’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2011.
She has an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy Recommended First for Certain Prostate Cancers, Lymphomas
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy should be the first line of treatment for certain prostate cancers and lymphomas with a major genetic weakness, according to researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
How the Gut Microbiome Is Affecting Immunotherapy Response
Researchers examined the gut microbiome of patients with metastatic melanoma who were being treated with anti–PD-1 immunotherapy, and they determined that patients with a more diverse population of gut bacteria or an abundance of certain types of bacteria were more likely to have their disease controlled for longer.
AMA Initiative Seeks to Improve Outcomes and Decision Making Through Better Data Sharing
A collaboration founded by the American Medical Association (AMA) will bring together organizations like IBM, Cerner, Intermountain Healthcare, the American Heart Association, and the American Medical Informatics Association to improve patient care through a better way to organize and share healthcare information.
Impact of Symptoms and COPD Severity on Health-Related Quality of Life
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent and progressive airflow limitation, and a new study examined the factors responsible for a high St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD based on severity of airflow limitation.
Patients With Psoriasis Have Higher Risk of Liver Disease Compared With Patients With RA
Patients with psoriasis and with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are often treated with similar drugs, but those with psoriasis are at a higher risk for serious liver disease, according to a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Cholesterol Prevalence Has Declined Significantly Over Time, CDC Reports
From 1999-2000 to 2015-2016, there has been a declining trend in high total cholesterol among adults in the United States, according to a report from the CDC. From 2007-2008 to 2015-2016 there was also a decline in low high-density cholesterol. Both types of cholesterol are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States.
Examining Top Reasons for Cancer-Related ED Visits
While it is known that febrile neutropenia is the most common reason for pediatric patients with cancer visiting the emergency department (ED), little had been known about the most common reasons for adult patients with cancer ending up in the ED.
CBO: Repealing Individual Mandate Will Substantially Decrease Federal Deficit, Number of Insured
Some Republicans are interested in attaching a repeal of the individual mandate to a tax bill, and interest from members of Congress on the impact of such a move prompted the Congressional Budget Office to publish a revised estimate of what would happen.
Maine Votes by Ballot Measure to Expand Medicaid, but the Governor Remains Opposed
After the Maine Legislature passed legislation to expand Medicaid on 5 separate occasions and each time the bill was vetoed by the governor, the state's voters took the issue into their own hands this election day.
Abstracts Analyze Collected EHR Data and Sarilumab Outcomes for Patients With RA
A recap of abstracts presented at The American College of Rheumatology’s 2017 Annual Meeting, including an analysis of data available in an electronic health records database and outcomes and cost effectiveness of sarilumab.
Moving Specialties and the Whole Healthcare Industry to Value-Based Payment Models
During the final panel at the fall meeting of the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition® in Nashville, Tennessee, panelists discussed the progress specialties have made in moving to value-based payment models, as well as the challenges facing the industry as a whole. The panel consisted of 3 individuals who provided perspectives from specific specialties, and 1 with an overall policy perspective.
The Challenge of Adjusting Health Measures for Social Risk Factors
There have been tremendous improvements in healthcare quality and performance measurements, but one area where more needs to be done is incorporating social risk factors into these measurements, said Shantanu Agrawal, MD, CEO and president of National Quality Forum.
The Argument for Caution When Judging Industry Payments to Dermatology Clinical Guideline Authors
After a study reported that physicians who authored dermatology clinical guidelines didn't always fully disclose financial conflicts of interest, the American Academy of Dermatology urged the public to view the findings with caution.
Tocilizumab Associated With Higher Risk of Neutropenia Among Biologic DMARDs
History of neutropenia with methotrexate, concurrent treatment with synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (sDMARDs), and tocilizumab were risk factors for developing neutropenia while on biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs), according to a study published in The Journal of Rheumatology.
AJMC®tv Interviews, October 2017
AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare, with insights from key decision makers-from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. Access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.
5 Things About the Importance of Addressing Social Determinants of Health
The shift of the healthcare industry to focus more on quality care and prevention of health issues before they arise has increased attention on an area outside of healthcare that needs to be addressed: social determinants of health.
ACOs Look to Take on More Risk, but Are Still Learning How to Be Successful
Despite their large and growing reach, accountable care organizations (ACOs) are still learning how to manage their populations and are slowly accepting more financial risk, according to the results of the Annual ACO Survey from the National Association of ACOs and Leavitt Partners.
Lower LDL Cholesterol Associated With Higher Mortality in American Indians
Excessively low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides is associated with a higher all-cause mortality among American Indians, according to a new study published online ahead of print in Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications.
Sense of Control Over Health Impacts Outcomes in Patients With Low Back Pain
Patients who feel they have little control over their health are more likely to report being depressed as a result of pain they experience. Targeting a patient’s sense of control can improve outcomes and remove barriers to recovery for patients with pain.
Global Health Report Finds Wide Variety in Rates of Diagnosis and Treatment
While the United States typically ranked first in rates of diagnosed conditions among 10 countries evaluated for patient insights into pressing health issues, it had the lowest work productivity impairment and activity impairment, according to a new report from Kantar Health.