Health Care Delivery

At the 2023 COA Payer Exchange Summit being held October 23-24 in Reston, Virginia, Lalan Wilfong, MD, US Oncology Network, emphasizes the importance of oncology care equity, ensuring continuity of care, and enhancing care coordination.

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans pose financial challenges for small rural hospitals; 2 bans proposed in Texas would prohibit transportation for abortion procedures; delays in reauthorizing US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) risk the program’s effectiveness and integrity.

No differences in mammography completion were observed between an automated opt-out vs an opt-in patient outreach program for breast cancer screening, according to a randomized controlled trial. However, differences in administration burden between programs could lead clinics to prefer one over the other.

Patients with alopecia areata found effective treatment with baricitinib, which had long-term efficacy and positive results.

With the approval, zilucoplan becomes the first once-daily subcutaneous complement C5 inhibitor available for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis.

“There are things more important than our discomfort, and there are things that are more important than even our fear—inclusion is more important,” said Erica Marsh, MD, MSCI. “Our care of our patients and loved ones is more important, and our existence tomorrow has to be more important than our fears today.”

Posters presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2023 Scientific Congress & Expo highlighted trends in fertility care amid the turbulent landscape following the Dobbs decision.

Study investigators note their meta-analysis may be the first to demonstrate the importance of interventions to support adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG, a distinguished infertility specialist, highlights the pivotal role of cultural humility, diversity, acknowledgment of historical injustices, and collective action in addressing disparities and fostering equitable access to health care.

A 5-year randomized trial showed that the Million Hearts Model, which paid health care organizations to monitor and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, was effective in reducing first-time heart attacks and strokes without associated increases in Medicare spending.

Brian Mullen, PhD, head of innovation and product at The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic, discusses the implementation of digital health tools and strategies made by The Clinic and what these improvements mean for its patients.

Anita Allen, PhD, professor of law and philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, discusses the impact of abortion regulations in different parts of the world on women's reproductive access and rights, as well as the repercussions of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade.

Monica Bertagnolli, MD, fielded questions on hot-button issues during the long-delayed Senate hearing on her nomination to head the National Institutes of Health; Pfizer announces the list price for a 5-day course of its COVID-19 antiviral, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid); a federal initiative is distributing funds to programs aiming to prevent drug overdoses in pregnant women.

In this case study, a patient who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and received high-dose transgene therapy to upregulate cortical dystrophin subsequently developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and died.

In the aftermath of the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, Anita Allen, PhD, highlights the challenges to abortion rights in the United States, emphasizing disparities faced by marginalized communities, outlining threats to reproductive health care, and calling for collective action and advocacy to defend constitutional privacy and uphold the dignity of all individuals.

A new analysis has determined potential risk factors for developing myasthenia gravis following COVID-19 vaccination, with symptoms likely to appear within 2 weeks of receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Amazon Prime air service is testing delivery of medication within an hour or ordering; Surging insurance costs are affecting 150 million Americans; Opponents of President Joe Biden's mental health care proposal argue potential rules could hinder access to quality care.

"The racial and ethnic distribution of United States sperm donors differs significantly from the United States population, particularly for those of African American or Black descent,” Cassie Hobbs, MD, explained.

Two posters presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 2023 Scientific Congress & Expo showed trends in funding and insurance coverage for individuals seeking fertility care.

Wiyatta Fahnbulleh, PsyD, and Pamela Blackwell, PsyD, LMSW, presented on the cultural limitations of the Personality Assessment Inventory and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory for assessing individuals for third-party reproduction.

A 2022 yearlong initiative at Summa Health Cancer Institute saw 100% of its patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation treatment referred to an oncology dietician for nutritional support and/or speech and swallow therapy.

Nearly 50% of pregnancies worldwide are unplanned, leading to significant health, economic, and environmental consequences, Stephanie Page, MD, PhD, explains in her presentation at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine 2023 Scientific Congress & Expo.

School nurses play an overworked and understaffed role; Merck's immunotherapy Keytruda (pembroilzumab) has been granted approval for pre- and postsurgical treatment in lung cancer; the FDA is helping to curb tobacco-related health disparities.

Non–guideline-concordant care for ovarian cancer was associated with higher all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, increased health care utilization, and increased Medicare expenditures, highlighting opportunities for improving cancer care in this vulnerable group.

Kristine Slam, MD, FACP, Central Ohio Surgical Associates, addresses the importance of involving patients in decisions regarding their goals for treatment, emphasizing that this involvement is critical to uncover what they value, as well as their short- and long-term goals for treatment.