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Based on long-term observations, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor utilization is a safe and effective treatment to prevent infections and improve quality of life in patients with cyclic neutropenia, according to an analysis in The New England Journal of Medicine.

More than 700 hospitals were penalized for having the highest rates of patient injuries; the Physician-focused Payment Technical Advisory Committee backed 2 new alternative payment models; and experts outline the biggest challenges of implementing and maintaining electronic health records going into the new year.

With reimbursement increasingly tied to outcomes, health systems and practices are trying to find ways to reduce costs while delivering better care. Some of the most-read articles in The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) in 2017 included an analysis of the benefits of treating everyone with hepatitis C with new, expensive treatments, a program to reduce readmissions, and a look at the impact of value-based contracting in Medicare Advantage.

Less than 10% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation received a referral from their physician, according to a new study. However, there was no association found between referral status and COPD exacerbations.

The FDA has removed a boxed warning on medicines delivering a combinations of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) drugs.

Scientists from King’s College London uncovered a new mechanism of cellular communication, between neurons and immune cells, in a discovery that could lead to new treatment targets for neuropathic pain.

The spending bill featured a waiver to avoid Medicare cuts in 2018, before voters to go to the polls in the midterm elections.

Asthma, a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among American preschoolers, may be worse in children aged 2 to 5 who are overweight or obese.

A recent study conducted in Finland and published in Acta Dermatologica-Venerology finds that rosacea could be related to underlying systemic inflammation.

This week, the top managed care stories included the elimination of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; a new gene therapy for inherited vision loss that could cost $1 million; and a study found that social isolation can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Using lessons learned from the past 4 years of working with 10 states and Puerto Rico, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices Health Division has released a road map to guide states in establishing state-level solutions to care for complex populations.

Articles on type 2 diabetes management, colon cancer screenings, and anti-rheumatic drug approvals topped the list.

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

For the most part, it’s well known that eating healthy and in moderation is more beneficial to our health. In 2017, there were a number of news stories that drove that knowledge home.

Older patients are often subjected to unnecessary screening; older people who eat more leafy greens have slower cognitive decline; a look at some ways to reduce wasteful spending in healthcare.

A short film supported by the makers of Stiolto Respimat shows the day-to-day life of 3 patients with COPD.

Finding cancer early is a key step to reducing cancer mortality, and a new study suggests that Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act led to more and earlier cancer detection.

Behavioral therapy combined with stimulants is more effective and tolerable than other treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a recently published review and network meta-analysis of 190 randomized trials. The review did not find evidence to support cognitive training, neurofeedback, antidepressants, antipsychotics, dietary therapy, fatty acids, and other complementary and alternative medicine.

A new sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 medication to treat type 2 diabetes is joining the field: the FDA approved ertugliflozin (Steglatro) from Merck and Pfizer as a single therapy and in combination with Merck’s sitagliptin (Januvia), a DPP-4 inhibitor, or with metformin.

The FDA's 2013 accelerated approval of pertuzumab for neoadjuvant use was converted to full approval as part of treatment for patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early-stage breast cancer.

Arizona submitted a waiver to impose work requirements and a lifetime limit for able-bodied people on the Medicaid program; Congress will tackle long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Plan in 2018; the opioid epidemic escalated in 2016.

In 2017, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) covered conferences on a range of topics: oncology, diabetes, managed care, and much more. however, the most-read coverage from conferences that AJMC® attended mostly focused on cardiology trial results, particularly the cardiovascular results of diabetes medications.

Today, the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma that has involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease, and who have undergone complete resection.

A pledge made to US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to support funding for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) in exchange for her yes vote on the GOP tax bill fell apart Wednesday, apparently because House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to allow the funding to be included in this year’s spending package, slated to be voted on Friday.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that black Americans tend to receive more intensive, higher-cost care at the end of life, and have higher rates of hospitalization and lower rates of hospice enrollment. A new study sought to determine whether racial variation exists among hospice enrollees in rates of hospitalization and hospice disenrollment, and whether that variation could be explained by systematic differences in hospice provider patterns.

Fresenius Kabi, a subsidiary of the German-based Fresenius SE and Co. KFaA, announced earlier this week that upon completion of its phase 3 study, AURIEL-Psoriasis, it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application for MSB11022, an adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) biosimilar candidate to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Republicans pass tax bill and repeal the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; potential healthcare mergers and deals pick up in December; millions of dollars paid out to combat the national conversation around rising drug prices.

Contributors to AJMC.com delved into data to share their knowledge about important topics in managed care, and in 2017, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.

There are no clinically meaningful differences in the safety profile of B12019 and pegfilgrastim, according to study findings presented at the American Society of Hematology’s 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia.

A new study, published in The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine, sought to identify the factors associated with time to diagnosis of early RA after the onset of symptoms, and found that older age, higher educational level, higher income, and small joint involvement were all positive factors for early diagnosis of RA.