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Current guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) call for using antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) when presented with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study sought to determine the rate at which patients with AECOPD are treated with antibiotics and also looked at the proportions of antibiotic classes prescribed, trends of antibiotic treatment, and identified independent predictors of antibiotic therapy.

Technology and issues with reimbursement with of interest to authors writing for our diabetes journal this year.

Dublin, Ireland-based S3 Connected Health discusses the need to identify barriers to healthy behavior as well as factors that can promote healthy actions.

Molly MacDonald, the founder and CEO of The Pink Fund, writes about how patients with breast cancer can approach decisions about choosing among disparate treatment protocols.

Primary care clinics are beginning to integrate more patient-reported outcomes into practice, especially with implementation of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System. However, little is known about whether patients perceive reporting these outcome measures as useful.

Contributors to AJMC.com share their expertise about important, timely topics in managed care on a regular basis, and in 2018, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.

The practices that have been participating in CMS’ Oncology Care Model have undergone significant practice transformation in order to be successful in the program. However, even after being in the model for 2 years, there are still remaining opportunities for investment.

The efficacy and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (G/P, sold as Mavyret) in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has previously only been investigated in clinical trials. Thus far, no real-world data had been available until a group of researchers looked to investigate the efficacy and safety of G/P in a real-world setting in Italy.

The COORDINATE-Diabetes seeks to explore what happens between development of clinical guidelines and their translation into clinical practice.

Health information technology (IT), specifically electronic health records, came with promise of improving high-quality patient care. However, unintended consequences of the technology have exacerbated physician burnout in the United States. In response, HHS has released a draft strategy for addressing health IT–related burden.

CMS has finalized “Pathways to Success,” its overhaul of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) that will push accountable care organizations to assume risk more quickly. The final rule includes some changes to the proposed rule, which was introduced in August.

Focusing on patients with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection who are at high risk of developing active TB may be key to eliminating the disease in the United States; however, a study found that physicians are not systematically identifying risk levels for patients with latent TB.

Earlier this week, the FDA granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for adult and pediatric patients with recurrent locally advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most frequently reported bloodborne infection in the United States, and prevalence has increased in recent years. Researchers recently sought to estimate the prevalence of HCV at the state level in order to more accurately guide prevention and care efforts.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who also have food allergies have more relapses than patients with no known food allergy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

This week, the top managed care news included a federal judge ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional; new diabetes standards address cardiovascular risk; efforts targeting loneliness show improved health outcomes.

Researchers found no evidence that initiation of inhaled corticosteroids or leukotriene receptor antagonist therapy is associated with fewer wheezing/asthma attacks than therapy with a short-acting ß-agonist alone in preschool children with recurrent wheezing/asthma.

Outgoing Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is urging fellow Republicans to oppose President Donald Trump’s International Pricing Index; after 12 patients became seriously ill from stem cell injections, the FDA issued a warning to the company that made the product and sent a letter to 20 clinics warning them that stem cell products should be regulated by the agency; Cigna has finalized its $54 billion purchase of Express Scripts.

The relationship between diabetes management and preventing cardiovascular events was a theme throughout 2018, and this is reflected in the new standards.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The year 2018 was a banner year for biosimilars, with the number of FDA-approved biosimilar products nearly doubling, and with major policy, business, and regulatory developments that moved the biosimilars marketplace forward. Here are 5 of the top developments in biosimilars for the past year, as reported by The Center for Biosimilars®, a sister site of The American Journal of Managed Care®.

Patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma who are responsive to nivolumab (Opdivo) have higher serum levels of soluble CD163 (sCD163) compared with nonresponders, according to the results of a recent study.

While there is widespread acceptance of the coexistent asthma–AR and the associated burden among physicians, a new study highlighted the need for increased healthcare practitioner communication and awareness to improve the appropriate treatment and management of these 2 coexistent conditions.

Women who breastfed for longer than 6 months had a smaller waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) compared with women who have not breastfed or have breastfed for a shorter duration, according to the results of a recent study.

The FDA has issued a warning that rare but serious cases of stroke and tears in the lining of arteries in the head and neck have occurred in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received treatment with alemtuzumab (Lemtrada).

A new nonprofit announced it will help fill the gap that was left earlier this year when federal budget cutbacks shut down a website that housed clinical guidelines for healthcare professionals.

A study found an approximate 30% decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among women with active migraine.