Health Care Delivery

A survey of employer and purchaser members of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions found that over half expect a transition to a more stabilized business environment by the third quarter of this year, as well as increased benefit offerings on mental health access and virtual care delivery.

To mark the beginning of National Minority Health Month, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) takes a look at racial inequities in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and speaks with one expert who fears reality is worse than data indicate.

Early on in the pandemic, Cotiviti developed a COVID-19 tracker map that accurately predicts where in the United States new COVID-19 outbreaks would occur. Nicole Neumarker, of Cotiviti, provides insight into what impact this technology could have in the future.

Antibody-based treatments designed to target alpha synuclein and amyloid beta, protein clusters associated with the development of Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease, were shown to worsen inflammation in the brain.

Investing further in the development of health care staff in often overlooked aspects, such as digital technology and business acumen, can lead to incremental differences in engagement and productivity.

As the first quarter of 2021 ends, patients choosing to keep using secukinumab may be offered an inducement to switch to another biologic, ixekizumab.

Survey responses of 320 US hospitals highlight the dire consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on facilities and point to a future of ongoing financial and staffing challenges.

After a 12-month follow-up of patients in the CHAMP-HF registry, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire Overall Summary Score (KCCQ-OS) was shown to be more prognostically accurate compared with New York Heart Association functional class.

Investigators found 10 main themes characterizing the differences between primary care clinics classified as high- and low-performing in distributing diabetes care.

How can health care systems talk about the issue of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with their patients? On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Pat Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, interviews the developer of interactive, people-centered, multimedia, educational programs for Wolters Kluwer Health.

Patient data about emergency department use by this population is limited, the authors said.

Despite patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension reporting good quality of life and low symptom severity, functional limitations persisted, suggesting improvements to the patient experience are needed, according to researchers.

Dayna Clark, MPH, and Kalpana Ramiah, DrPH, MSc, explain why patient trust is important for hospitals to have, as discussed in their poster presented at the 2021 AcademyHealth National Health Policy Conference.

Amid the pandemic, organizations utilizing a value-based care reimbursement model may be better positioned than those using a fee-for-service model to delineate high-risk patients and manage their care, particularly for long-term symptoms that may arise due to COVID-19.

A survey released this month of US patients with blood cancers shows a somewhat surprising level of hesitancy about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, but because patients with cancer were not included in clinical trials, the situation for this population is somewhat nuanced.

Among these factors, having a higher degree of disability from multiple sclerosis (MS) was independently associated with higher morbidity and mortality risks from having a comorbid case of COVID-19.

There is a lack of standards for diagnosing and treating nail psoriasis, a situation needing attention because the condition is often a precursor to psoriatic arthritis.

Pharmacists from the Cleveland Clinic discuss the impact of payer dispensing requirements, known as white bagging and brown bagging, on oncology practices and on patients.

Despite HHS’ recommendation that everyone with HIV start antiretroviral therapy (ART) soon after their diagnosis, uptick disparities remain and are especially apparent among persons with drug abuse or dependence.

The study examined the cost to Medicare when patients with end-stage renal disease switched from their employer-based health insurance to Medicare between 2007 and 2017 before the end of the 30-month coordination period.

Patients with multiple sclerosis have high rates of urinary and kidney infections, inpatient hospitalizations, and outpatient hospital claims, according to recent results presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis annual meeting.

A panel of experts provided consumer insights into value-based insurance design (VBID) and how the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed consumer behaviors in a way that VBID may be able to address as the country emerges from the pandemic.

Responses from a study of in-person focus groups show that not only do patients report adverse effects on quality of life, physical well-being, and mental health but that their caregivers do as well.

A value-based care team approach can be utilized to adequately treat patients’ medical problems, particularly by addressing the social, economic, and environmental challenges they’re facing in their everyday lives.

A desire to remove barriers to high-value care and provide services that would improve health and quality of life drove early adopters of value-based insurance design (VBID).