Authors

Financial Incentives Tied to Medicare Star Ratings: Impact on Influenza Vaccination Uptake in Medicare Beneficiaries

Influenza vaccine uptake improved among Medicare Advantage enrollees when influenza vaccination was introduced as a performance metric in Medicare star ratings and accompanying bonus payments.

How English- and Spanish-Preferring Patients With Cancer Decide on Emergency Care

Care delivery innovations to help patients with cancer avoid emergency department visits are underused. The authors interviewed English- and Spanish-preferring patients at 2 diverse health systems to understand why.

Operating Room Efficiency of Orthopedic Surgery During the COVID-19 Era

The authors analyzed the impacts of COVID-19 on orthopedic operating room efficiency via comparison of 14,856 surgeries performed before, during, and after the pandemic.

US Health Care Disparities in Immunology Biologics Access: A Systematic Review

This article presents a systematic review of US health care disparities in biologics access across immunology (ie, rheumatology, dermatology, and gastroenterology) and a call to action.

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.

Initial Maintenance Therapy Adherence Among Older Adults With Asthma-COPD Overlap

Older adults with coexisting asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), known as asthma-COPD overlap, who take fixed-dose combinations of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β agonists may be less likely to have persistent low adherence to initial maintenance therapy.

How Employers Can Fight the Price Crisis

This commentary, part of the Price Crisis campaign, focuses on the role of employers and business coalitions in advocating for policy change.

Evaluating Alternative Methods of Comparing Antihypertensive Treatment Intensity

Medication dose captures modification of hypertension treatment intensity more precisely than medication count, and this measure should be preferred in studies that aim to improve hypertension management.

Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries’ Grocery Supplemental Benefit Use and Health Care Utilization

Medicare Advantage grocery supplemental benefit use is associated with increased outpatient care, suggesting that policy changes allowing for nonmedical supplemental benefits could improve beneficiaries’ health, especially for dual-eligible beneficiaries.

Bleeds and Resource Use in Hemophilia B: Retrospective Observational Study

This real-world US study describes individuals with hemophilia B who experience bleeds despite factor replacement therapy and quantifies the associated comorbidity and health care resource utilization burden.

Medicare Accountable Care Organizations Reduce Spending on Surgery

Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations spent less on surgical care by reducing inpatient surgery, increasing outpatient surgery, and reducing spending on postacute care after inpatient surgery.

Price Transparency and Patient Engagement: Social Messaging Matters

This study examined the impact of price transparency and prosocial messaging on patient engagement of price-protected consumers in seeking value-based care.

Medicaid Expansion, Managed Care Plan Composition, and Enrollee Experience

Medicaid expansion was associated with substantial changes in Medicaid managed care plan composition, which may influence a plan’s performance on enrollee experience metrics.

Scaling Care Coordination Through Digital Engagement: Stepped-Wedge Trial Assessing Readmissions

This evaluation looks at a postdischarge digital engagement (PDDE) program using causal inference methods to examine the impact of PDDE on readmission.

Zanubrutinib May Be Viable Option After Acalabrutinib Intolerance in B-Cell Malignancies

Patients with B-cell malignancies who were intolerant to treatment with acalabrutinib experienced clinically meaningful benefits when treated with zanubrutinib, suggesting zanubrutinib may be a viable treatment option for this population.

Association of Wound Healing With Quality and Continuity of Care and Sociodemographic Characteristics

Based on the analysis of electronic health records from 480 clinics, we found that better care quality and continuity are associated with better-than-expected wound healing performance.

Tislelizumab Pushes HCC Field Forward With 2024 NCCN Guideline Category 1 Recommendation

Tislelizumab's inclusion in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as a category 1 recommendation marks an advancement in the treatment landscape for HCC.

Real-world Usage of Bevacizumab-bvzr Biosimilar in US Oncology Practice

Real-world adoption of bevacizumab-bvzr biosimilar was retrospectively assessed, revealing switching between biosimilars and the reference product and utilization in extrapolated indications and combination regimens.

The Health Information Technology Special Issue: Tackling New Challenges to Digital Transformation

A letter from the guest editor highlights the potential for the findings in this special issue help us take steps toward realizing the promise of information technology in health care.

Pharmaceutical Care Services for Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic Scoping Review

Major databases were systematically searched for articles reporting on pharmaceutical care services for patients with diabetes, and 86 pharmaceutical care services were qualitatively synthesized.

Intersection of Complexity and High Utilization Among Health Center Patients Aged 18 to 64 Years

This paper utilizes latent class analysis to identify subgroups of complex conditions and of super-utilizers among health center patients to inform clinically tailored efforts.

Trends in Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Prescribing Patterns

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide, have increased in use and will continue to increase due to their effectiveness in weight loss.

Real-World Digitally Based Diabetes Management Program Implementation by a Large Employer

This study offers new insights to self-insured employers and health plans related to investment in digitally based disease management programs and enrollee engagement.

Epcoritamab Monotherapy Induces Complete Responses in R/R CLL

Single-agent, subcutaneous epcoritamab generated deep responses in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL).

Service Line Care Delivery Model for COVID-19 Patient-Centric Care

The authors provide steps hospitals can take to align their care delivery model to effectively meet the demands of a public health crisis such as the current pandemic.

Preferences for and Experiences With Pill Appearance Changes: National Surveys of Patients and Pharmacists

Changes in generic drug appearance occur often. Patients’ and pharmacists’ responses to those changes vary, with some patients stopping their medication or using it less.

Artificial Intelligence in Medicare: Utilization, Spending, and Access to AI-Enabled Clinical Software

This study quantified the trends over time in utilization of, spending on, and access to CT fractional flow reserve, the first artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled clinical software reimbursed by Medicare.

Participating Faculty: Addressing Excessive Evaporation: An Unmet Need in Dry Eye Disease

Premium Tax Credits in the American Rescue Plan and Off-Marketplace Enrollees

We estimate that the median 2021 premium tax credit for off-marketplace enrollees in California would be $311 if they switched to marketplace plans, with wide variation by age and plan size.

Innovation, Affordability, Access: Alzheimer Disease Drugs and the Inflation Reduction Act

The authors explore the economic impact and accessibility challenges of new Alzheimer disease drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act, with emphasis on Medicare, pricing, and health care equity.