Health System

FDA accepts for priority review a Biologics License Application for V114, Merck's investigational 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; bluebird bio will be split into 2 publicly traded drug companies; a new variant of coronavirus is reported in Japan.

The incoming Biden administration announces plans to rapidly release most available vaccine doses against coronavirus disease 2019; the Trump administration approves the first Medicaid block grant in Tennessee; pharmaceutical executives and trade groups condemn last week’s pro-Trump riots on Capitol Hill.

A recent study evaluated the content validity of patient-reported outcome instruments used in low-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

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

TeleConnect introduces the concept of connecting primary care physicians and specialists by leveraging technology. Improving communication in a health care system betters patient care.

Addressing the social health needs of those ill with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a challenge for providers and health care systems. On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Bechara Choucair, MD, senior vice president and chief health officer for Kaiser Permanente, who discusses the organization's guide that walks clinicians through considerations to keep in mind when screening patients in order to improve health outcomes as well as reduce community transmission.

Despite limited resources to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, collaborative efforts among the government, health plans, and providers in Puerto Rico exemplify how care can be better optimized in communities in the United States impacted by disparities in health care services.

In recent clinical practice guidelines issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), authors established recommendations for the use of behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults.

An abstract from last month’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium identifies factors linked with longer-term controlled substance use after treatment of breast cancer with mastectomy plus breast reconstruction in women receiving opioids, benzodiazepines, and other sedative/hypnotics.

The top 5 most-read sleep stories of 2020 on AJMC.com spotlighted the role of sleep hygiene among children and adolescents, changes in sleeping habits amid the pandemic, and how a rare gene mutation may cause people to require less sleep to achieve wakefulness.

Researchers discuss recent insights on the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly how proper SDB management can reduce the incidence, burden, and recurrence of AF.

Recent study findings highlight mixed results following use of this medication among Mississippi and Massachusetts Medicaid beneficiaries.

The top 5 most-read employer stories of 2020 on AJMC.com focused primarily on the role of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on several issues affecting the workplace, including adverse mental health outcomes, leave-related concerns, and the rise of virtual care.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommended zanubrutinib, approved by the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma, as a first-line and second-line therapy for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).

Congress passes legislation that will delay the start of the Radiation Oncology (RO) Advanced Payment Model; examining the newly identified variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); a study finds Hispanics and those without college degrees most subject to excess death during pandemic.

Four principal themes emerged in this study, describing why Latino/a and Black transgender women and men who have sex with men discontinued their preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV.

Kashyap Patel, MD, associate editor of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care, will serve a 1-year term beginning in January.

Stark realities exposed by the pandemic have led some to advocate for redirecting resources to have the most impact on vulnerable populations.

The authors wrote that in states that expanded Medicaid health insurance coverage in 2014, there was an increase of early-stage colon cancer diagnoses compared with states that did not implement expansion.

Patients with COVID-19 and end-stage renal disease were 11 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital than patients without kidney disease.

Integrated health system specialty pharmacies provide specialized services to patients, resulting in high rates of adherence to and financial assistance with specialty disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

This study presents information regarding the decisions that health care privacy officers make about reporting a data breach, including factors that can affect the decision process, such as personal/organizational knowledge, prior breach status, and framed scenarios.

The problem of violence against health care workers has escalated across the world, and tackling this issue requires the support of administrators.

The panel was charged with deciding if the benefits of the vaccine outweighs the risks, paving the way for the possibility that immunizations could begin within days.

We must rethink our one-size-fits-all approach to social determinants of health interventions and instead target patients who truly need and would benefit from these interventions.

What people believe about health and public health, although challenged before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is even more crucial now as vaccine distribution efforts could soon begin.

This episode of Managed Care Cast is a preview of an interview with Michael E. Chernew, PhD, and A. Mark Fendrick, MD, the co-editors-in-chief of The American Journal of Managed Care®, which appears in the December issue of the journal.

With leading health experts warning of a grim few months ahead as the pandemic continues to rage, and as a vaccine launch grows more imminent, this 3-part series explores the impact of existing health disparities on COVID-19 and some potential solutions.

Overall survival from early breast cancer has steadily been increasing; however, simultaneous increases in obesity and obesity-related comorbidities may have contributed to the survival disparity seen between these patient groups.