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In addition to the advances made in the HIV space, such as antiretroviral therapies and pre-exposure prophylaxis, the years of research has translated into advances outside the HIV field, including in oncology and other immune diseases.

Patients with neurodegenerative ataxia that are treated with cerebello-spinal transcranial direct current simulation (tDCS) have significant improvements in gait, upper limb coordination, quality of life, and other neurological evaluations of cerebellar deficits, according to results from the CStDCSAtaxia trial.

A recently released report using data from the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) verifies existing data on the prevalence of pneumonia in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits and provides the first-ever data collection on diagnostic testing, length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and mortality.

One patient saw a complete response, and the therapy was well tolerated, especially compared with the adverse effects sometimes seen with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatment in blood cancers thus far.

Telerehabilitation (TR), defined as telecare that involves supervised online exercise sessions for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is beneficial for symptom relief, physical function, and quality of life. A recent study found that specific attention toward the involvement of health professionals in the decision process combined with education and skill training is essential to support the successful implementation of TR.

Many believe value-based payment can change the trajectory of national health expenditures and improve the quality of care, yet its success remains uncertain.

A hearing in a federal court in Fort Worth, Texas regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) ended Wednesday, with the attorney general for the Lone Star State leading 19 other like-minded Republican states in trying to convince a judge that a preliminary injunction to put the ACA on hold should be granted. Later, Senate Democrats tied the hearing to the Supreme Court nomination hearing for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who, if confirmed, will likely have to consider the case, Texas v Azar.

Lawmakers in at least 10 states will consider taxes on makers of opioids in the upcoming legislative session depending on the results of the November election; the numbers may be low, but overdose deaths in Alaska involving fentanyl more than quadrupled in 2017; a new company created by health systems to address drug shortages and high-cost generics is taking shape with a name and a chief executive officer.

In a 3-part series, the National Academy for State Health Policy explored how states can use policy levers to more effectively utilize limited resources and provide better care, improve care coordination services, and ensure consistent access to care for people living with HIV.

HHS is seeking comments on potentially expanding safe harbors under the antikickback statute of the Stark Law in order to better promote care coordination and value-based arrangements.

New study findings have identified a subtype of multiple sclerosis—myelocortical multiple sclerosis—that has neuronal loss but no demyelination of the brain’s white matter, indicating that demyelination and neuronal degeneration occur independently.

The public, including most Republicans, wants protections for people with pre-existing conditions preserved, finds the latest Kaiser Family Foundation health tracking poll. The poll was released as a federal court case regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act got underway in Texas and as Brett Kavanaugh began his second day of questioning from senators regarding his nomination to the Supreme Court.

While funders and researchers have long held that clinical trials should enroll more diverse patients to better reflect the populations in which approved drugs will eventually be used, patient populations enrolled in clinical trials remain largely homogenous.

In the second quarter of 2018, real US drug prices declined 5.8%, and it may be thanks to co-payment accumulators; more than 25 patient and consumer groups released a statement that said a new bill to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions would not be sufficient; the Department of Justice has issued a warning to cities planning to set up supervised injection sites as a tactic to curb opioid overdose deaths.

FDA's designation is based on phase 2 data presented earlier this year at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.

Newly published findings indicate that physician burnout is associated with an increased risk of patient safety incidents, poorer quality of care, and reduced patient satisfaction.

Consolidation in California’s healthcare system has had a noticeable impact on measures of vertical integration and premiums for insurance bought through the exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act, according to a study published Tuesday in Health Affairs.

Amgen has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application to the FDA to expand the prescribing information of carfilzomib (Kyprolis) to include a once-weekly dosing option in combination with dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

The COMBI study, a prospective, open‐label, single‐arm phase 2 study ongoing in Denmark, is investigating the feasibility of treating patients with low- to intermediate-risk myelofibrosis or polycythemia vera with low-dose pegylated interferon alfa-2 in combination with ruxolitinib.

Senate Democrats plan to use the confirmation battle for Brett Kavanaugh's to the Supreme Court of the United States to mobilize their base around threats to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the social safety net, and reproductive rights; a Texas courtroom will be the setting for another critical chapter in the fate of the ACA; consumers who buy insurance through ACA markets will find premiums have stabilized in 2019.

A new index released by Oxfam has ranked Washington, DC, along with the 50 US states based on their policies around minimum wages, health and safety, leave, etc—which could be used as a surrogate for the well-being of the labor force. Virginia ranked last and Washington, DC, led the list.

Oncology care model (OCM) practices are awaiting CMS' release of the first performance period one true-up and performance period two initial reconciliation results.

A new long-acting treatment for hemophilia A has been approved for previously treated patients, aged 12 years and older. Bayer’s Jivi was also approved for on-demand treatment and the perioperative management of bleeding in the same population.

As the healthcare system considers alternative payment models that reward high-value care delivery, programs that utilize lay health workers (LHW) may be valuable. A study in JAMA Oncology analyzed whether an LHW program can increase the documentation of patients’ care preferences.

Ovid Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, recently announced that the phase 2 STARS trial, which tested the efficacy of the investigational drug OV101, achieved its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability for treating Angelman syndrome.

Fragility fractures are a serious complication of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but many clinicians who treat patients with diabetes are not aware of the increased risk of these fractures.

Early hospital readmissions for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represent a major economic burden within the healthcare system and recent research found that comorbid chronic rhinitis is significantly associated with 30-day asthma and COPD related readmissions

A recent review of nearly 582,000 heart attack cases over the span of 19 years found that female patients had a significantly higher survival rate when treated by a female physician in the emergency department.

New research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute has found that although there was some erosion in health insurance offered by employers after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the percentage of private-sector employers offering health benefits increased in 2017 for the first time since 2008.

Here are the top 5 articles for the month of August.