COVID-19

According to the most recent data from FAIR Health, COVID-19 telehealth diagnoses declined in 3 of the 4 census regions in the United States.

During an Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event held in New York City, Samyukta Mullangi, MD, MBA, fellow in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discussed how disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic are ushering in health care delivery reform.

The study of real-world evidence (RWE) found nearly 9 in 10 patients in a highly vaccinated cohort avoided hospitalization within 15 days of treatment for COVID-19.

The retrospective study evaluated outcomes in patients prescribed nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, as well as the management of drug interactions by clinical pharmacists prescribing the regimen.

High levels of interleukin (IL)-26 levels correlate with an exaggerated inflammatory response that signifies severe cases of the disease, according to researchers.

Telehealth diagnoses in the South and West regions of the United States saw a reduction in COVID-19 diagnoses.

A listeria outbreak has been linked to deli meats and cheeses; the World Health Organization announced that there has been a 90% drop in recent deaths in COVID-19 globally compared with 9 months ago; Eli Lilly was ordered to pay $176.5 million in a US migraine drug patent trial.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will give cancer claims priority when a new law takes effect in January 2023; Pfizer is looking to use its COVID-19 profits to grow other blockbusters; the probable loss of Medicaid coverage for millions next year is setting off debate.

COVID-19 was ranked in the top 5 diagnoses through telehealth in the Midwest, Northeast, and West regions as well as nationally in the month of April, coinciding with an increase in COVID-19 cases.

Panelists of an AHIP 2022 session discussed how future policy, infrastructure, and investment strategies in public health will reinforce the efforts already made during the pandemic, with partnerships and engagement key to optimize innovation.

The February drop out of the top 5 coincided with a sharp decline in new cases of COVID-19, as reported by the CDC, following the January peak of the wave of cases related to the Omicron variant.

Rajini Katipamula-Malisetti, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist with Minnesota Oncology who practices in Coon Rapids, has seen telehealth’s usefulness up close. During a pandemic, it can increase the number of touch points in areas such as survivorship care and nutrition, which would otherwise require a separate visit to the office.

Study results showed that both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were safe and effective in patients with multiple myeloma, which investigators hope will improve vaccine hesitancy in the high-risk population.

In an interview conducted before the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant began driving another wave of infections, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, FASTMH, discussed the struggle public health officials and scientists have in fighting false beliefs about vaccinations.

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.

While low- and middle-income countries remain desperate for a COVID-19 vaccine, the United States has entered a dangerous new phase of the pandemic, where antivaccine forces are exporting their antiscience beliefs to other countries, according to a keynote speaker at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting.

The August telehealth growth coincided with the peak of the surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant in the South.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Gregory Harris, MD, MPH, DFAPA, senior medical director for behavioral health at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, about the challenges of meeting the demand for mental health service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anthony Fauci, MD, told attendees at the ATS 2021 International Conference that the real-world evidence of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is even better than expected.

Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine shown to prevent most coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related deaths or hospitalizations; extreme weather delays 6 million vaccine doses; post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety seen in COVID-19 survivors.

The authors of a Clinical research article in the January 2021 Health IT issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® discuss their findings and suggestions for making telehealth access more equitable for all.