During this one-on-one interview, Michael A. Evans, BS, RPh, of Geisinger Health System, discusses the use of warfarin as a treatment and/or prevention option for thromboembolic complications and explains why management of patients on warfarin is difficult.
Warfarin therapy, explains Mr Evans, requires frequent monitoring as warfarin is associated with numerous food interactions, drug-drug interactions, and disease interactions. Mr Evans also discusses warfarin’s mechanism of action and highlights specific foods, drugs, and conditions that affect the efficacy and safety of warfarin therapy.
Some patients prefer the frequent monitoring required with warfarin therapy, as it means more contact with healthcare providers; however, frequent visits for laboratory testing and monitoring place a burden on the healthcare system. As models of healthcare delivery change, patient access to care will become more challenging, says Mr Evans.
The number of testing and monitoring visits associated with warfarin therapy can potentially be reduced through the use of home INR monitoring devices, which allow patients to self-test and provide test results to their monitoring clinicians. However, the use of home INR monitoring devices is still resource utilization—intensive, notes Mr Evans.
The recent approval of direct-acting oral anticoagulants can benefit patient and clinicians, as these agents do not require routine monitoring, adds Mr Evans.
CMS released a final rule to help patients obtain Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage and issued a proposed rule to update Medicare payment policies and rates for inpatient rehabilitation facilities; debate over if gift card incentives are acceptable in health care marketing.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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What We’re Reading: HHS' Funding Flat; Mifepristone Safety; Insulin Shortage
March 25th 2024Flat funding for HHS leaves critical health initiatives stagnant; Supreme Court weighs tightening regulations on abortion pill; manufacturing delay sparks access concerns for insulin medication.
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CMS is highly likely to negotiate the price of the obesity medication semaglutide in the coming years; many health care providers are trying to determine whether their cyberattack insurance will help cover their losses after the Change Healthcare hack; the US life expectancy increased for the first time in 2 years.
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