Clinical

The pharmaceutical industry needs to rethink its approach to packaging cancer drugs into a one-size vial to avoid drug wastage and save over $1.7 billion in 2016.

Starting at the very top, with boards and management is one way that healthcare institutions can better diversify their workforce, and doing so will make health equity achievable, said Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association.

Research led by investigators at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center has concluded that adjuvant chemotherapy improved survival compared with patients who received adjuvant chemoradiation in pancreatic cancer.

While survey results show that belief in the importance of comparative effectiveness research is largely solid, its impact is yet to be realized or acknowledged by stakeholders in the United States.

The top stories in managed care this week include findings on cancer survival disparities, CVS Health claimed drug spending growth slowed in 2015, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's OMNIA plan is interfering with existing patient-centered medical homes.

Women hospitalized with coronary artery disease are less likely to receive optimal care at discharge compared with men and African Americans have an elevated risk of mortality compared with white patients, study finds.

What we're reading, February 26, 2016: drug makers are facing pressure to calculate the cost of extending a patient's life; a look at how addiction is viewed and treated in the US; and staving off the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

While the cost of the widely used stroke clot-busting drug alteplase has more than doubled over the past decade, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement has remained far behind.

Research advocate Jack Whelan discusses patient involvement in their own care: how to discern which sources are the most reliable, the importance of better incorporating patient-reported outcomes into healthcare, and how patients should become more educated about their care.

A new study questions the maximum-tolerated-dose approach in cancer.

There are multiple barriers to accessing innovative oncology care from the design of healthcare benefits to a patient’s position on the federal poverty level, explained Daniel J. Klein, president and CEO of the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation.

What we're reading, February 25, 2016: the government will require proof of eligibility for enrollment in special sign-up periods under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); this year's flu vaccine is more effective; and 6 states are suing the Obama administration over an ACA fee.

The presence of interstitial lung abnormalities is linked to an increased risk of death, according to a new research published in JAMA.

Detecting acute HIV infections is important because this infection contributes disproportionately to the transmission of HIV and highly contagious.

Emergency room overutilization is a significant issue in oncology care and may increase healthcare expenditures while lowering the quality of patient care.

A collaborative study conducted across cancer treatment centers in the United States has identified malignant brain tumors as the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 39 years.

With a vote of 89-4, the Senate confirmed Robert Califf, MD, for the position of FDA commissioner.

What we're reading: drug makers are not reporting complete information about side effects; Johnson & Johnson will pay $72 million to the family of a woman who blamed her ovarian cancer on talcum powder; and Maine and Utah make new attempts at expanding Medicaid.

Experts and biological researchers aren’t completely convinced with the president's cancer moonshot initiative and the released budget.

Survival in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia could be significantly influenced by their family’s socioeconomic status, a new study published in Pediatric Blood and Cancer has found.

A national survey of physicians found strong support for key policies that could help prevent opioid misuse, but report encountering barriers.

A healthcare delivery model that utilizes home visits and that is interdisciplinary and team-based has been shown to improve care while controlling costs for patients with complex needs

The full slides from the 2015 Patient-Centered Diabetes Care keynote speech, where Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, discussed new care models being implemented to improve patient health in the long term.

A new report by the American Cancer Society points to disparities in cancer survival between whites and blacks for certain cancers, although the reasons for these differences remain unconfirmed.

What we're reading, February 23, 2016: drug spending for CVS health plans slowed from 11.8% to 5%; CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, talks Zika virus; and an investigation into the HealthCare.gov launch found widespread mismanagement.

The supplemental new drug application submitted by Pfizer, the drug's manufacturer, included phase 3 results from the PALOMA-3 trial.

Risk adjustment for social determinants of health could reduce penalties to children’s hospitals for patient factors that are beyond their control, according to the results of a new study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

The American Journal of Managed Care's co-editor-in-chief A. Mark Fendrick, MD, director of the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID), is testifying on how the principles of VBID and clinical nuance can contribute to healthcare reform in the US military health system.

What we're reading, February 22, 2016: new legislation proposes placing a 3-year moratorium on advertising newly approved drugs; the prevalence and incidence of stroke among young adults has increased significantly; and more women with breast cancer are choosing outpatient mastectomies.

Support from at least 60 senators during today's procedural vote will ensure a final confirmation vote for Robert Califf, MD, likely Tuesday.