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Health Care Utilization and Cost of Diagnostic Testing for Respiratory Infections

Syndromic reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction tests for respiratory infections were associated with lower health care resource utilization and costs, implicating potential for improved value in patient care.

Stakeholder Analysis: Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Awareness and Implementation

This article describes facilitators of and barriers to uptake of the underutilized Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program from the perspectives of health care providers and program suppliers in western Pennsylvania.

Telehealth User Experiences During COVID-19: A Case Study of Outpatient Cardiovascular Clinics Affiliated With a Large Academic Practice

In cardiovascular clinics during COVID-19, notable barriers to successful telehealth use included obtaining diagnostic information needed to deliver high-quality care and technology-related challenges for patients.

Contributor: How 10 Years of Trends in Health Care Payments Can Help During the Pandemic

Deirdre Ruttle, chief marketing officer, InstaMed and head of Wholesale Payments Healthcare Marketing, J.P. Morgan, discusses streamlined payment options in a post COVID-19 world.

Telehealth User Experiences During COVID-19: A Case Study of Outpatient Cardiovascular Clinics Affiliated With a Large Academic Practice

In cardiovascular clinics during COVID-19, notable barriers to successful telehealth use included obtaining diagnostic information needed to deliver high-quality care and technology-related challenges for patients.

Accountable Care Organizations and HPV Vaccine Uptake: A Multilevel Analysis

The authors evaluated whether adolescents receiving care at accountable care organizations (ACOs) vs non-ACOs were more likely to initiate and complete the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series.

The Rise of the Digital-First Health Care Approach

Interactive technology plays an ever-increasing role in our everyday lives, so it only makes sense that this rapidly improving technology is making its way other areas of our lives, including health care.

A Standardized Care Pathway Increases Optimal Dialysis Starts

The authors observed a significant increase in optimal starts for dialysis and in peritoneal dialysis rates after implementing a standardized end-stage renal disease transition pathway.

Demographic Disparities in Video Visit Telemetry: Understanding Telemedicine Utilization

A stratified demographics analysis of video visit telemetry data reveals that age older than 65 years and African American/Black race are associated with higher video visit failure rates, whereas language, sex, and ethnicity are not.

Physician-Mediated Interventions to Lower Medical Expenditures Under Risk-Based Contracts: A Systematic Review

Risk-bearing provider organizations rely on physicians to achieve cost savings. The literature on physician-mediated interventions to reduce costs is scant and provides little guidance on effective strategies.

Calibrating Medicaid Payment to Need for Long-term Services and Supports

Incorporating data from functional status assessments, we developed a Medicaid payment model for long-term services and supports in a community-dwelling population of older adults.

Subjective and Objective Impacts of Ambulatory AI Scribes

Although the vast majority of physicians using an artificial intelligence (AI) scribe perceived a reduction in documentation time, those with the most actual time savings had higher relative baseline levels of documentation time.

Improving Glycemic Control in Diabetes Through Virtual Interdisciplinary Rounds

Patients with diabetes whose providers received advice from remote, virtual interdisciplinary rounds had a greater 1-year reduction in hemoglobin A1c than comparable patients.

The Unintended Consequences of Medicare’s Wage Index Adjustment on Device-Intensive Hospital Procedures

The authors found an association between Medicare’s wage index adjustment and the differential use of labor-intensive surgical procedures and medical device–intensive minimally invasive clinical procedures across the United States.

Comparison of Primary Payer in Cancer Registry and Discharge Data

Enrollment in managed care among Medicaid enrollees presents challenges to classifying Medicaid coverage in cancer registries.

Contributor: Every Day Is HIV Awareness Day—The Importance of Motivating People to Get Tested for HIV

Oncologists’ Perceptions and Utilization of US Therapeutic Oncology Biosimilars

Biosimilar use in clinical practice is determined by oncologists’ perceptions of and willingness to prescribe them. The authors investigated US oncologists’ perceptions and use of biosimilars.

Avoiding Surgical Resection of Recurrent BRAF V600E–Mutated Iodine-Refractory Papillary Thyroid Cancer Involving Trachea/Thyroid Cartilage via Resensitization With Dabrafenib and Trametinib: Report of 3 Cases

Participating Faculty: Evolving Considerations for Choice of Hepatitis B Vaccine

The Implementation of Opioid Prescribing Report Cards in Medicaid Managed Care: A Community Quality Collaborative

This article describes the Philadelphia Medicaid Opioid Prescribing Initiative that was launched by a multidisciplinary team and mailed local Medicaid providers individualized prescribing report cards.

The Impacts of Supplemental Benefits on Medicare Advantage Plan Composition

After evaluating the association between the expanded Medicare Advantage supplemental benefits and plan composition, authors determined that adoption was not associated with large demographic shifts in enrollment.

Assessment of Structured Data Elements for Social Risk Factors

An expert panel identified and assessed electronic health record and health information exchange structured data elements to support future development of social risk factor computable phenotyping.

Osimertinib Combo Lessens CNS Progression in EGFR NSCLC

Central nervous system (CNS) progression was reduced with osimertinib plus chemotherapy for patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer plus CNS metastases.

Contributor: Companies Can’t Afford a She-cession

As working women have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, solutions to address what has been coined a “she-cession” include targeted communications, flexible work schedules, and increased education/tutoring resources.

Glucose-Lowering Treatment Patterns in Patients With Diabetic Kidney Disease

Real-world treatment of diabetic kidney disease in the United States, based on national-level health care claims and electronic health records data, is inconsistent with the current guidelines.

Factors Associated With Primary Care Physician Turnover in the VA

This longitudinal observational study found higher team satisfaction with workload to be significantly associated with lower primary care physician turnover.

The Implementation of Opioid Prescribing Report Cards in Medicaid Managed Care: A Community Quality Collaborative

This article describes the Philadelphia Medicaid Opioid Prescribing Initiative that was launched by a multidisciplinary team and mailed local Medicaid providers individualized prescribing report cards.

Preappointment Surveys and Reminder Calls to Improve Show Rate

Patients who completed a preappointment survey were significantly more likely to attend their clinic appointment than noncompleters and spent significantly less time in their appointment.

Consumer-Centric Approach to Enhance Access to Pediatric Specialty Care

The authors’ organization optimized scheduling techniques that improved patient access to pediatric specialists to within 7 calendar days for new patients.

CMS Needs to Rethink How Medicare Assesses Quality

Late 2020 changes make accountable care organizations a canary in the coal mine.