Health Care Delivery

Two story lines predominated renal news in 2020: coronavirus disease 2019's effect on the kidneys and the overwhelming benefits of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors for those with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes.

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 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minorities in America. MJH Life Sciences™ will host a free webinar to explore potential solutions.

The FDA has approved Margenza (margetuximab-cmkb) plus chemotherapy as a treatment option for adults with HER2-postive advanced breast cancer.

Early detection of colon cancer is key to survival. New guidance advises endoscopists in identifying malignant colorectal polyps and recommendations for surgery.

Clarence Moore, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, assistant professor at Shenandoah University in Ashburn, Virginia, discusses whether treatment methods for beta thalassemia are accessible to patients.

The use of Mohs micrographic surgery, which had the highest average Medicare payment from 2012-2017 among a set of 4 skin cancer procedures, has increased by more than 20%.

Researchers review pulmonary function testing measures that span 4 categories that can assess the respiratory muscle dysfunction that happens in diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The FDA Friday issued the second Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, this one to Moderna, as the pandemic reached critical stress points across the country, especially in California.

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.

Since the start of the pandemic, many patients with COPD, especially if they experienced an exacerbation during 2020, reported adopting telemedicine, according to a recent study.

Both clinical and physician-based factors play a role in the risk of a patient with hematologic malignancies ending up in the ICU.

An outcomes-based agreement conducted by Boehringer Ingelheim and Highmark found that use of Jardiance (empagliflozin) among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and known cardiovascular disease (CVD) was associated with a total cost of care savings of over 20%.

In a recently published review, researchers highlighted the disease burden of migraine, advances in preventive therapies, key takeaways from the most recent migraine management consensus statement, and advocated for increased pharmacist intervention in migraine medication management.

Compared with before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), study results show there was an increase in diagnoses of early-stage breast cancer among younger vs older minority women after the act.

Insurance status can influence an individual’s ability to access care, stated Milena Murray, PharmD, MSc, BCIDP, AAHIVP, associate professor at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy.

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.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has a host of benefits in treating and managing patients with early-stage disease, noted Alexey Aleshin, MD, senior medical director of Oncology at biotech giant Natera.

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.

Clinics that offer a multidisciplinary team-based approach to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can provide patients in rural areas access to care and improve their health.

Research presented at this year’s annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America shows the possible impact of food or housing insecurity on follow-up appointments for breast cancer.

The Dutch study sought to add to what is known about the cost-effectiveness of shared decision-making in multiple sclerosis.

The lead investigator touted the benefits of subcutaneous administration of daratumumab in relapsed multiple myeloma (MM) during a presentation on practice-changing results ahead of the American Society of Hematology annual meeting.

Updated guidance in 6 key areas of asthma care focus on improving diagnosis, management, and treatment.

The most recent data from the CDC show a 36.6% decrease in overall mortality among individuals living with HIV; despite this progress, the virus remains a leading cause of death among certain races and ethnicities.

Among 11 developed countries, the United States has the highest maternal mortality rate, a relative undersupply of maternity care providers, and no guaranteed access to provider home visits or paid parental leave in the postpartum period, a recent report from The Commonwealth Fund concluded.

A review found that including exercise, breathing techniques, and education components in pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) optimizes such programs.

Survival after breast cancer is on the rise, thereby emphasizing the importance of discussions that focus on fertility and reproduction among younger survivors.