Health Care Delivery

DOJ requests federal appeals court to block grant of stay for Texas' abortion law; common synthetic chemicals linked with premature death; influenza hospitalization and death more likely in pediatric minority populations.

An evaluation of price transparency tools for ophthalmologic procedures found significant usability, availability, and variability issues, which may disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to announce plan on strengthening regulations against certain chemicals; risk of emergency complications increased in pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19; fully vaccinated, heavy marijuana users with substance abuse disorder linked with higher susceptibility to breakthrough infection.

The pathway outlines a 4-step screening process for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) were found to be more likely to report musculoskeletal symptoms and dermatologic issues prior to initial PsA diagnosis.

Pediatric patients with extreme obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a higher risk of needing respiratory support after undergoing corrective adenotonsillectomy, warranting the need for postoperative observation in these populations.

Psychographics is a way of categorizing someone based on their everyday behaviors using data that are collected every time they go to the store or post on social media, said Robert Groves, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer at Banner | Aetna. In health care, psychographics can be used to positively influence someone to their benefit.

Sepsis is poorly understood, difficult to identify, and even harder to predict. Consistent stakeholder involvement may be key to identifying precisely where and how a sepsis early warning system could improve the team-based response to the condition.

Patients traveling for cancer treatment often incur financial burdens. The members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers should play a role in mitigating housing-associated costs for patients during cancer treatment.

Highlighting the latest ophthalmology-related news reported across MJH Life Sciences™.

Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis were shown to achieve and maintain higher levels of complete skin clearance and quality of life when treated with brodalumab vs ustekinumab, regardless of the presence of lifestyle risk factors.

Research presented at EHA2021 shows that the JAK 1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib produced cost-effective benefits per quality-adjusted life-year and increased the overall survival rate for patients with myelofibrosis.

Migraines plague some 35 million Americans, the majority of them women in their 30s and 40s, and disabling pain and symptoms are linked to lost productivity at work, school, and home. On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we bring you an excerpt of an interview with a headache specialist about the extra challenges for patients and providers during the pandemic.

Patients with obstuctive sleep apnea were found to be significantly more likely to have brain white matter hyperintensities, lesions known to signal brain aging and potential risk of Alzheimer disease.

Francis Collins, MD, PhD, will step down as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the end of the year; the Biden administration ends a ban on federal funds for clinics that provide abortion referrals; the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing hospitalization and death 6 months after the second dose.

Analysis finds significant spike in deaths among nursing home residents due to the Delta variant; hospitalization charges for patients with COVID-19 vary widely; spotlighting the threat of heat waves and extreme weather conditions for pregnant women.

Aligned with increases in costs for both airplane and helicopter air ambulance transport, average estimated air ambulance costs rose 76.4% from 2017 to 2020, according to Robin Gelburd, JD, president of FAIR Health.

The study aimed to identify the usefulness of telemonitoring to detect and manage acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD).

Secukinumab was associated with a high rate of short- and long-term drug survival in the treatment of patients with psoriasis, with factors such as obesity and prior biologic use linked to discontinuation of use.

Artificial intelligence (AI) was used to predict response of high-grade extrauterine serous carcinoma (HGSC) to adjuvant platinum chemotherapy.

Consumer protections against surprise medical billing will go into effect January 1; Merck’s experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug shows efficacy against variants; an online questionnaire finds a 40% decrease in teen vaping from 2020 to 2021.

Highlighting the latest ophthalmology-related news reported across MJH Life Sciences™.

Although physicians’ clinical decisions serve as the biggest drivers behind the cost of care, hospitals have long been reluctant to take financial accountability. If such accountability is to be transformed from a diffuse fear to a manageable managerial task, institutional engagement with physicians will be a critical next step.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Susan Quaggin, MD, FASN, a nephrologist and the chief of nephrology/hypertension and director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute at Northwestern University, as well as current president of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). She discusses the recommendations of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and ASN Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases and what comes next for laboratories, clinicians, and patients.

Risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was found to be decreased in young patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who were treated with insulin pumps, with findings also indicating a 2.1-fold greater risk of DR in Black participants compared with White individuals.

Results of a representative study of patients at federally qualified health centers found Medicaid expansion was associated with reduced rates of uninsurance, improved blood pressure and diabetes control measures, and progress in closing racial care disparities over 5 years.

The Oncology Care Model (OCM) is scheduled to end in just a few months, but with no new model in place to succeed it and practices still struggling during the pandemic, OCM should continue in its current form, said Kashyap Patel, MD, CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associations, current president of the Community Oncology Alliance, and co-chair of Patient-Centered Oncology Care®.

A new report from the CDC details how testing for HIV and care for the disease among at-risk populations were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes that self-testing may be a workable solution.

In the opening sessions at the Patient-Centered Oncology Care® conference, held September 23-24 both virtually and in Nashville, Tennessee, speakers focused on addressing disparities by getting involved and engaged with the community.

Rajesh Rajpal, MD, chief medical officer, global head of clinical medical affairs, Johnson & Johnson Vision, addresses ongoing and future innovations in eye lens technology and instruments for cataract surgery.