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.

Patient and Physician Perceptions of a Hypercholesterolemia Safety-Net Program

Patients’ misperceptions of statins and physicians’ limited knowledge of a hypercholesterolemia safety-net program warrant additional interventions to reduce barriers and improve care.

An Accelerated Hospital Observation Pathway to Reduce Length of Stay for Patients With COVID-19

For select patients hospitalized due to COVID-19, an academic urban hospital implemented an observation pathway that incorporated mobile health technology, reducing hospital length of stay by more than 2 days.

Care Management Improves Total Cost of Care for Patients With Dementia

Compared with usual care, a dementia care management program improved various cost of care and utilization metrics in a Medicare managed care population at 12 months.

Health Systems and Telemedicine Adoption for Diabetes and Hypertension Care

Small practices reduced their use of telemedicine during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technical support may help expand and maintain telemedicine in small practices.

Inpatient Opioid Receipt and Care Experiences for Vaginal Delivery

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between inpatient opioid receipt and care experiences of women hospitalized for vaginal delivery.

Improving Risk Stratification Using AI and Social Determinants of Health

Prediction models combining claims data with social determinants of health and additional, more-timely data sources using artificial intelligence (AI) can better identify individuals with the highest future medical spending.

To Preserve Access to Care, Congress Must Repair Medicare’s Broken Payment System

The author, chair of the Government Affairs Committee with the American College of Rheumatology, calls for support for efforts in Congress to reform the Physician Fee Schedule.

Telehealth Transitional Care and 30-Day Readmission During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study found that the dramatic shift from face-to-face posthospital transitional care to telehealth did not affect 30-day readmission or mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Managed Care COVID-19 Outcomes in a Population Health Program

Data from 38,193 patients showed that managed care patients have COVID-19 risk factors similar to those of the general population and that a population health program decreased mortality.

Primary Care Referrals to Nephrology in Patients With Advanced Kidney Disease

Primary care physicians did not refer the majority of patients with severe nephropathy to specialists; nonreferred patients had fewer comorbidities and might be better kidney transplant candidates.

Measuring Continuity of Care for Diabetes: Which Visits to Include?

This study examined how inclusion of different provider specialties affected Continuity of Care Index values, year-to-year stability, and association with emergency department visits.

Egg Donors and Recipients With PCOS

No difference was shown regarding pregnancy and childbirth outcomes among patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who receive oocytes from women with or without PCOS.

Understanding Suboptimal e-Consult Requests: Lessons From the VA

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinicians’ perspectives on what constitutes a good e-consult and why suboptimal e-consult requests occur contain broadly applicable lessons for other health systems.

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.

Reduced Medical Spending Associated With Integrated Pharmacy Benefits

Members covered by an integrated pharmacy benefit (as opposed to a pharmacy carve-out) experienced slower growth in medical spending.

A Multistakeholder Effort in Pennsylvania to Improve the Accuracy of Reporting Fatal Drug Overdoses

The authors describe a novel training program for death certifiers in Pennsylvania, which has been designed to specifically focus on some of the main challenges in the death certification process and resulted in a useful model that can potentially be adopted by other states or municipalities.

Care for Food-Insecure Enrollees in Medicare Advantage vs Traditional Medicare

Medicare Advantage plans may deliver care more efficiently to food-insecure beneficiaries than traditional Medicare, but they are not better at reducing food insecurity.

Participating Faculty: The Course and Management of Interstitial Lung Diseases

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Accessibility of Taiwanese Medical Care

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to routine medical care in community populations in Taiwan. The unmet needs should be emphasized as normal life resumes.

High-Risk Care Management Impact on Medicaid ACO Utilization and Spending

In Massachusetts’ largest Medicaid accountable care organization (ACO), high-risk care management significantly reduced spending, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations, demonstrating that targeted strategies can manage health care costs amid budget constraints.

Mental Health Concerns Prevalent in Patients With AD, Poster Says

A new study presented at this year’s American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting highlights the need for mental health support in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

ASCO 2024 Solid Tumors

Pediatric Oral Health Services in Medicaid Managed Care and Fee for Service

Rates of preventive oral health services among pediatric medical visits in Florida were similar whether visits were paid via Medicaid comprehensive managed care or fee for service.

How Medicare Advantage Plans Use Data for Supplemental Benefits Decision-Making

This article presents findings from interviews conducted with executives from 29 Medicare Advantage plans regarding plan decision-making processes related to new social risk factor–related benefits.

Clascoterone 5% Delivers Strong Phase 3 Results for Androgenetic Alopecia

Clascoterone 5% topical solution shows promise as a new treatment for male androgenetic alopecia, offering significant hair growth improvements with minimal side effects.

End-of-Life Values and Value-Based Care

An editorial in response to the editor in chief’s December 2021 letter discusses evidence supporting the cost-effectiveness of an innovative advance care planning initiative.

Screening for Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in Health Plans

This study provides insight on the experiences of patients of a national health plan with 2 structural determinants of health—health care discrimination and health literacy—and how those interact with social determinants of health and patient demographics.