Health System

Compared with Ethiopia’s current nonmandatory hepatitis B vaccination program, expanded vaccination coverage among health care workers was shown to be more cost-effective and result in improved life expectancy gains.

Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) from Finland reported a higher incidence rate of cataract surgeries prior to PD diagnosis vs those without the condition, potentially due to other eye diseases and prodromal symptoms of PD.

In the Roger C. Bone Memorial Lecture in Critical Care at CHEST 2022, E. Wesley Ely, MD, MPH, of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, highlights the need for humanism in the intensive care unit and how the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed what had been built up.

Researchers reviewed clinical features of hidradenitis suppurativa and provided strategies to promote earlier identification, differentiation from common mimickers, and timely referrals for multidisciplinary management.

A digitally delivered targeted intervention of symptom and trigger education, treatment reminders, lifestyle coaching, and healthy lifestyle support demonstrated significant improvements in treatment adherence and related clinical outcomes among Icelandic patients with atopic dermatitis.

The first 5 minutes of a patient’s visit with a doctor can help improve communication and build more trusting relationships, explained panelists during a session on lung health disparities in America at CHEST 2022.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in community and home health nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, addressed the impact of food/housing insecurity and other social determinants of health (SDOH) on care outcomes in home health.

Panelists at an Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2022 session discussed enhanced utilization management strategies to manage the rising cost of specialty drugs, while providing members with support for rare, complex conditions.

Chelsee Jensen, PharmD, senior pharmacy specialist at Mayo Clinic, talks about the importance of patient, provider, and nursing education as the US biosimilars landscape evolves.

Leaders from City of Hope National Medical Center discussed how the cancer research and treatment center addressed challenges with attracting and retaining oncology pharmacists through a restructuring during the ACCC 39th National Oncology Conference.

The concluding keynote address at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2022 meeting discussed new and emerging oncology drugs in the pipeline and their potential impact on the treatment landscape as it pertains to managed care providers.

While a majority of national lives are covered by vertically integrated insurers, the proportion varies widely at the state level from as low as 6% to as high as 97% of covered lives, according to a new American Medical Association (AMA) report about competition in the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) sector and insurance.

President Joe Biden is directing HHS, through an executive order, to use the Innovation Center to lower drug prices; the US extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days; the CDC reported that 75% of teenagers experienced adverse childhood experiences in 2021, which worsened their mental health.

New and emerging medications in the specialty drug pipeline were discussed during a keynote address at AMCP Nexus 2022 by Aimee Tharaldson, PhD, senior clinical pharmacist of emerging therapeutics at Express Scripts, with biosimilars, orphan drugs, and cell and gene therapies emerging as key trends to watch.

The FDA authorizes the COVID booster shots for children as young as 5; babies born during the pandemic may experience delayed communication skills compared with babies born prior; regulatory burden has increased for 89% of medical practices.

Two stakeholders from Avalere Health discuss the utility of patient-centric value frameworks for equitable health care delivery, as well as challenges and strategies regarding its implementation at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2022.

Patients with hepatitis C virus infection and chronic homelessness who were placed into permanent supportive housing exhibited a significantly reduced risk of hospitalization and liver-related morbidity and mortality.

Stakeholders at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2022 meeting review federal legislative and regulatory updates in managed care pharmacy and the impact that upcoming midterm elections will have on these provisions.

As with many medical meetings, some of the presentations from the annual American College of Chest Physicians event will be livestreamed or on demand for later viewing, but the organizers have stressed the importance of coming together for the first time since 2019.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric heart transplant waiting list times was evaluated in this new study that used data from the United Network for Organ Sharing.

The annual fall meeting of AMCP Nexus 2022 will feature a keynote from one of the top physician-executives in health care, the specialty pharmaceutical pipeline, and insights for managed care stakeholders in selecting and integrating cost-effective, value-based care frameworks.

Continuing the race adjustment factors maintains health care disparities, the authors noted.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, addressed gaps in research for home health care and progress toward the development of a discharge decision support tool for clinicians.

Athena Gierbolini, president of Hope for HS, a nonprofit advocacy group for those affected by hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), discussed several pressing issues that warrant consideration to improve the care management of HS.

In a recent opinion published in JAMA, health policy researchers reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage (MA) to identify key areas that need improvement.

This study evaluated pregnancy-related outcomes among women with pulmonary hypertension (PH) ranging from mild to severe in disease severity.

Black patients with hidradenitis suppurativa were more likely to experience greater disease severity, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and surgeries than non-Hispanic White patients.

The presentation focused on the Protocol AC trial, which considered whether step therapy had an impact on visual outcomes for patients starting on bevacizumab and switching to aflibercept later.

A panel discussion at the 70th Annual Roy A. Bowers Pharmaceutical Conference addressed recent care delivery initiatives in New Jersey that aim to address health inequities and other population health concerns.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, discussed several factors for clinicians to consider in creating plans to discharge adults from skilled home health care.