Health Care Delivery

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with one of the authors of a paper published this month in Health Affairs about the utilization of substance use disorder treatment (SUD) services between 2010 and 2019, and why more needs to be done to get more individuals into treatment.

Today, health plans are shifting dollars to more value-based contracts along with investments in population health management. Digitizing lab results across all care settings and unlocking the potential of lab values can help health plans reach the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience, improving the health of populations, and reducing the per-member cost of health care.

A cross-sectional analysis found that protein biomarkers were associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate, which may capture early kidney impairment.

The report details totals paid to hospitals by private insurers and providers and compares the sums with a Medicare benchmark.

Experts warn, however, that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic could stymie this progress.

Significantly greater persistence, adherence, and time on monotherapy was achieved with the use of ixekizumab vs the biologics adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab, and ustekinumab, in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Dupilumab improved lung function and reduced severe asthma exacerbation rates in children with moderate to severe asthma with or without atopic comorbidities.

FDA to make an announcement regarding importation of baby formula; first-line use of nivolumab and ipilimumab vs standard of care chemotherapy fails to meet primary end point of overall survival in phase 3 CheckMate 901 trial; study finds link between antibiotic prescriptions and inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis in older adults.

Two periods of sacubitril/valsartan initiation were compared in a study population of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF): less than 3 months or 3 or more months following first HFrEF diagnosis.

A retrospective study assessed hospital readmission rates in patients with sickle cell disease and acute chest syndrome who took angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers vs those who did not.

Patients with psoriatic disease who live in low-income countries exhibited the highest disease activity and impact despite similar usage of biologic drugs to that of higher-income areas.

Infertility as a predisposing factor for heart failure (HF) was the subject of this new study evaluating outcomes among postmenopausal women.

While CMS has started making changes to address health equity through policy and payment models, commercial plans are waiting to see the outcomes before they follow suit, said Jayson Slotnik, partner, Health Policy Strategies, Inc.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, chief, division of dermatology, Seattle Children's Hospital, discussed the emergence of effective therapies for the management of atopic dermatitis and how dermatologists and other providers involved in patient care can better promote earlier use of these treatments.

Data from this new study suggest melanoma cases rose at a slower rate in lower-income countries, but the authors say that may be due to differences in case documentation.

Veterans residing in rural areas were less likely to complete annual repeat lung cancer screenings compared with those living in a nonrural location, with reduced uptake of initial lung cancer screening also found among eligible veterans in rural vs nonrural locations.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) was associated with a variety of comorbid conditions, from psoriasis to hypertension.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) deliver a diverse array of home-based services, but many of the services are not reimbursed. ACOs may not expand these programs without strong evidence of cost savings.

Patients with comorbid chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps and severe asthma reported significant improvement in their sense of smell when treated with the biologics omalizumab, mepolizumab, reslizumab, or benralizumab, with no significant differences observed between the treatment groups.

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president of Texas Oncology, discusses how community oncology practices have heightened their outreach efforts to entice patients back in for cancer screenings and the importance of thinking outside the box to overcome staffing shortages in the oncology space.

This new study among a patient population living with type 1 diabetes compared their outcomes according to their type of insulin pump therapy: sensor-augmented pump, predictive low-glucose suspend, and hybrid closed-loop (HCL).

Bimekizumab demonstrated a favorable long-term safety profile for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis, aside from an increased incidence of mild to moderate oral candidiasis that was also observed with short-term exposure.

A study of hospitals and long-term care facilities in Louisville, Kentucky, found low rates of Clostridioides difficile testing in patients with new-onset diarrhea who are frequently infected.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Joanne Armstrong, MD, MPH, vice president and chief medical officer for Women’s Health and Genomics at CVS Health, on the distinct pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in women and how her own health experiences have influenced her perspective on cardiovascular disease management.

Dermatology specialists were cited by diverse caregivers of children with atopic dermatitis (AD) to provide enhanced care delivery and improved AD disease control compared with primary care providers.