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.

The Cost of Implementing and Sustaining the Massachusetts Model

This article presents a microcosting analysis of resources needed for the implementation and sustainment of the Massachusetts model evaluated in the PROUD trial.

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.

Telehealth Intervention by Pharmacists Collaboratively Enhances Hypertension Management and Outcomes

Patient interaction and enhanced support with clinical pharmacists significantly improved pass rates for a measure of controlling blood pressure compared with usual care.

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

High-Intensity IV Iron Replacement for Chronic Bleeding in HHT: A Case Series

The article explores the use of dose-intensive IV iron replacement to achieve long-term hemoglobin stability in patients with moderate to severe HHT-related bleeding. The approach recognizes what the author calls "the relentless and recurrent nature of HHT-associated bleeding," and may help patients achieve better quality of life.

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.

Telehealth Intervention by Pharmacists Collaboratively Enhances Hypertension Management and Outcomes

Patient interaction and enhanced support with clinical pharmacists significantly improved pass rates for a measure of controlling blood pressure compared with usual care.

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.

Neighborhood Opportunities and Pediatric Health Care Utilization: Implications for Medicaid Managed Care

Medicaid managed care organizations should prioritize children in low-opportunity neighborhoods to optimize health care utilization, improve minority health, and address health-related social needs.

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).

Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Maintains Benefit-Risk Profile for High-Risk Stage II Melanoma in KEYNOTE-716 Analysis

Adjuvant pembrolizumab maintained recurrence-free survival in resected stage IIB/IIC melanoma without increasing new melanoma risk.