Interviews

Dapagliflozin was shown to not only benefit patients at risk of heart failure, both with and without diabetes, but treat patients with established heart failure as well, said John McMurray, MD, FRCP, FESC, professor of medical cardiology in the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

There are a number of policy changes that can drive change within the implementation of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, but further innovation is warranted to improve access, said John Sweetenham, MD, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Associate Director for Clinical Affairs at UTSW’s Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Stronger intervention by the government in controlling price, accessibility, and availability of MS treatment can drive innovation, said Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DNP, ANP, associate director at the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation at Mount Sinai.

Bradley Prechtl, MBA, chief executive officer of Florida Cancer Specialists and the American Oncology Network discusses how Florida Cancer Specialists is working with employers.

The biggest advice I would give to practices and care teams trying to really engage patients more is be innovative, explained James Hamrick, MD, senior medical director at Flatiron Health.

Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPh, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, discusses the role of vitamin D insufficiency in the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and the optimal dose of vitamin D for patients with MS.

In patients with heart failure, both with and without diabetes, dapagliflozin was shown to provide identical efficacy and possibly beneficial effects on the heart, said John McMurray, MD, FRCP, FESC, professor of medical cardiology in the Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences at the University of Glasgow.

Richard Snyder, MD, executive vice president of Facilitated Health Networks and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross, discusses the role of data exchange and analytics in value-based agreements.

Cost-related barriers to access are a major problem for US patients with MS that will hopefully be addressed through innovations in medication affordability, said Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DNP, ANP, associate director at the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation at Mount Sinai.

Our goal is really to try and make the software as invisible as possible so that it becomes intelligent and aids in decision making, explained Carolyn Starrett, senior vice president, Provider Solutions, Flatiron Health.

Using market-research information builds comprehension of the communities OneOncology treats, which allows us to implement effective technologies for value-based care, said Robin Shah, chief commercial officer of OneOncology.

Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, executive director, West Cancer Center, discusses the importance of working with physicians to make sure they're comfortable prescribing biosimilars.

Michael Kolodziej, MD, vice president and chief innovation officer at ADVI Health, Inc, on whether payers will get more comfortable paying for one-time, curative therapies with high price tags.

New tools enabling data access can help patients choose the most appropriate site of care for their needs, representing a significant change in the care delivery paradigm, according to Vanessa Sammy, MPA, MHSA, senior director of commercial strategy and implementation for Remedy Partners.

Melinda Magyari, MD, PhD, consultant neurologist, the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, discusses the current body of data on treating pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS).

Ruxolitinib should be added to treatment of patients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) are not improving on steroids or whose symptoms return after tapering, said David Snyder, MD, associate chair of the Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope.

Nina Chavez, MBA, FACMPE, chief operating officer, New Mexico Oncology Hematology Consultants, Ltd., discusses if she thinks biosimilars will play a role in lowering costs in coming years.

Understanding the cultural backgrounds and beliefs of patients with MS allows clinicians to provide effective care, said Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DNP, ANP, associate director at the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation at Mount Sinai.

Providing patients with financial counseling related to their potential treatment costs alleviates financial burdens and promotes efficient care, said Rhett Wilkerson, BA, director of patient financial services dedicated to American Oncology Network at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

Prithviraj Bose, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses treatment options for patients progressing with myelofibrosis.

James Hamrick, MD, senior medical director at Flatiron Health, discusses some of the biggest challenges with trying to understand what constitutes value for patients and then turning that into actionable information.

Providing providers with relevant data on quality of care and profitability allows them to adjust their practices efficiently, said Erich Mounce, chief operating officer, OneOncology.

Bradley Prechtl, MBA, chief executive officer of Florida Cancer Specialists and the American Oncology Network, discusses how partnerships help community practices achieve growth.

Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPh, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, explains that, in addition to known environmental factors that affect multiple sclerosis (MS) risk, novel factors, such as childhood obesity, are also emerging.

Population health management and coordination of care are integral to value-based contracting, explained Richard Snyder, MD, executive vice president of Facilitated Health Networks and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross.

Carolyn Starrett, senior vice president, Provider Solutions, Flatiron Health, discusses efforts by Flatiron to help streamline practice operations in community practices.

The progressive illness, emotional management, and cognitive remediations serve as the major unmet needs in MS treatment today, said Aliza Ben-Zacharia, DNP, ANP, associate director at the Center for Nursing Research and Innovation at Mount Sinai.

Consolidating unified interests for improved cancer care can enhance efficiency and quality of care for patients, said Tracy Bahl, MBA, president and chief executive officer of OneOncology.