Health Care Delivery

Education, psychological support, and implementation guidance are the top unmet needs identified by investigators from the United Kingdom concerning gene therapy use for hemophilia.

Lawsuits target initiatives aimed at reducing racial disparities; less than 10% of trials for COVID-19 treatments included children in the first 3 years of the pandemic; the World Health Organization requests more information on increased respiratory illnesses in China.

Jeffrey Sippel, MD, MPH, addresses the increasing denial of insurance claims for non-invasive ventilators (NIV) in Medicare Advantage plans, particularly impacting ALS patients, emphasizing the time crunch on patients, and criticizing the financial focus over patients' well-being.

A network meta-analysis confirmed the efficacy of methotrexate for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and validated it as the primary reference conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for treatment in this population.

A retrospective analysis reveals that pregnant patients with autoimmune skin diseases have higher risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

In a real-world, prospective study, upadacitinib demonstrated great potential for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) regardless of a patient’s baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Allegations call out restrictions on medically necessary care; CDC data highlight surge in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations; failure to include additional Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) aid raises concerns over food access.

More than 10% of fecal immunochemical test (FIT)–based colorectal cancer screening could not be processed due to unsatisfactory samples.

These new atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) update their 2014 recommendations for the management of AD with phototherapy and systemic therapies.

Researchers gathered data on patient-reported outcomes to support evidence for the continuation of natalizumab, a disease-modifying treatment, in the management of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression.

Additional COVID-19 tests can be ordered amid rising cases and insurance challenges; therapies targeting toxic proteins in Alzheimer disease spark renewed interest; new poll indicates 55% approval for legal abortion on any grounds.

The recent availability of 3 FDA-approved treatments for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has dramatically altered patient outcomes and provided a wealth of new avenues for SMA research.

In a single-center, retrospective analysis, echocardiography demonstrated low sensitivity but high specificity for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension (PH) in advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Health officials said that at least 7 states reported high levels of illness, with cases also rising in other parts of the country; a group of Senate Democrats demanded answers about the shortage of nirsevimab, a new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) drug; Pentagon officials told Congress that eliminating per- and polyfluorinated substances would undermine military readiness.

Jeffrey Sippel, MD, MPH, discusses the trend of insurance claim denials related to non-invasive ventilators for patients with ALS.

Household primary language was associated with vision screening, with children from non-English households exhibiting lower rates of pediatric vision screening.

To stress the importance of considering pulmonary complications in sickle cell disease (SCD), researchers compiled an overview on the state of research and available treatment options for patients with SCD associated with pulmonary hypertension.

The study also identified similar 12-month outcomes between torsemide and furosemide regardless of heart failure (HF) type.

Alexander Fay, MD, PhD, joined for a Q&A about the current state of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment and the unanswered questions in the field.

In these phase 3 findings presented at ACR 2023, the safety and efficacy of this drug was proven in American College of Rheumatology-20 (ACR20), ACR50, and Disease Activity Score in 28 joints with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate responses.

A retrospective, exploratory analysis identifies biomarkers predictive of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) response to nusinersen and suggests the efficacy of using machine learning algorithms to anticipate patient outcomes.

The Center on Health Equity and Access spotlights the latest health equity news, research, and initiatives to reduce health care disparities and improve access to care.

Alyson Moadel-Robblee, PhD, deputy director of community engagement and cancer health equity at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, discussed the center's evolving patient distress screening process and the Bronx Oncology Living Daily support program for patients with cancer.

A Biologics License Application has been submitted to the FDA review for sotatercept in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

The FDA approved delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl (Elevidys, Sarepta Therapeutics) in June to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy in ambulatory pediatric patients aged 4 through 5 who have a confirmed DMD gene mutation.

Due to the frequent rejection of claims for noninvasive ventilators by Medicare Advantage plans, individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are experiencing disproportionately high rates of hospital admissions.

Michael Yim, MD, board-certified family physician, discussed the need for and logistics of collaboration between oncologists and primary care providers.

The CDC has published updated recommendations for the postexposure prevention and treatment of Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) infection; the FDA has granted marketing approval to an at-home chlamydia and gonorrhea test; lawmakers and Veterans Affairs officials acknowledge the potential for psychedelic drugs to treat veterans’ mental health conditions and prevent suicide.

Investigators note that prospective research is needed to confirm the efficacy of vitamin D supplements in preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with breast cancer.

New research highlighted how aspirin is unnecessary in antithrombotic regimens for patients with advanced heart failure and fully magnetically levitated left ventricular assist devices (LVADs).