All News

A recently published study found that the DCTclock, a test for cognitive assessment, was associated with greater detection of biomarkers related with cognitive decline in patients who had yet to show any symptoms when compared with traditional testing methods.

With the costs of biologic drugs increasing, biosimilars have emerged as an attractive option for containing costs and expanding access to treatment. However, some barriers to wider uptake still need to be addressed, according to a presentation at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

While the introduction of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has benefitted patients with type 2 diabetes and impacted guidelines globally, these expensive therapies have managed care implications, explained Richard E. Pratley, MD, of AdventHealth Diabetes Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Egyptian dermatologists were asked about the effect of COVID‐19 on prescription patterns, appointment rescheduling, therapy decisions, and telemedicine use.

Medications and management processes known to be ineffective or harmful in infants with bronchiolitis were tossed in favor of targeted interventions in hospitals, resulting in improvements in bronchiolitis care.

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

The long-term findings come from a subgroup analysis of 120 patients in Japan taking part in an extension of the 3-part, double-blind, randomized, controlled reSURFACE 1 trial.

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who received ruxolitinib cream experienced a rapid, clinically meaningful, and sustained improvement in their itch.

For cases of advanced skin cancer that are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy, we have Hedgehog pathway inhibitors and PD-1 inhibitors, each of which has 2 approved medications, noted Todd Schlesinger, MD, FAAD.

This week, the top managed care news included COVID-19 vaccine eligibility opens to all adults nationwide; a spotlight on payment models and value-based care; barriers to mental health care for children and teenagers.

Mitigating the burden of HIV in the United States means taking a more comprehensive approach to diagnosis, testing, and treatment of the disease, said a speaker at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

Washout periods are necessary to flush out any lingering effects of drugs that patients are taking before a study, explained Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

According to the report, direct medical costs represented less than half ($418 billion, or 43%) of overall annual costs.

Despite concerns that patients with Fabry disease might be at heightened risk of severe symptoms from SARS-CoV-2, early data find that most patients experience mild or moderate symptoms.

The findings come from the group’s review of over 30 years’ worth of research of the presence of autoimmune cytopenias and autoimmune diseases in lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms.

Metastatic breast cancer has a poor prognosis, but emerging targeted therapies are providing some progress in the treatment of the disease, explained Filipa Lynce, MD, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

At a session at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum, an Aetna executive discussed how one employer used the payer's data to see how its workforce was affected by social determinants of health (SDOH).

New reports show additional doses of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine manufactured in Baltimore may be contaminated; legislation extends fentanyl's regulation as a Schedule 1 drug; COVID-19 cases and deaths increase in Texas.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, independent community practices were integral in helping patients access chemotherapy and other critical treatments, participate in clinical trials, and screen for serious diseases. However, the pandemic also presented significant challenges to them, their operations, and their patients.

A new approach to identifying and defining heart failure among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involves combining information gleaned from reviewing their electronic medical records and examination charts.

For Alberta and Green Shield Canada, savings are beginning to add up from switching initiatives for multiple reference biologics.

Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance reflects health care trends of an economy emerging from COVID-19, according to a speaker at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

With unprecedented pauses in air pollution emissions in spring 2020 and ongoing virus mitigation behaviors around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to better understand the impact of poor air quality on human health.

Research presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting indicates some air pollutants may be associated with increased rates of migraine prevalence and severity.

An analysis of an ongoing study on children genetically at risk of type 1 diabetes examines the monitoring behaviors of parents.

How well, and how in-depth, all parties execute each step can determine how long it will take to reach a finalized agreement, what the relationship will be like after the transaction, and whether the parties will be in legal compliance, speakers noted.

In comparing the efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the subthalmic nucleus and globus pallidus, both approaches were similarly effective in improving motor function in people with Parkinson disease, with benefits maintained after 10 years.