Health Care Delivery

Susan E. Quaggin, MD, FASN, president of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) for the 2021-2022 term, discussed the major focuses and breakthroughs in nephrology to be presented at Kidney Week 2022, which include novel treatments for common and rare kidney diseases, as well as efforts to address disparities for transplant and care access.

A significant uptick in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) among patients with comorbid asthma has been seen in the country over the past decade.

The program, serving patients from rheumatology, dermatology, gastroenterology, allergy, and cardiology clinics, is the first of its kind within the Veterans Health Administration, researchers said.

Patients with young-onset Parkinson disease experience significant emotional burden that is exacerbated by unmet educational needs.

It is unclear what role treatment plays in affecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk, the authors found.

Exclusions from Medicaid eligibility based on immigration status may be linked with increased health care disparities among immigrant women compared with US-born women, a study suggested.

This investigation compared the histologic features of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) between organ transplant recipients and the general population.

Making value-based payment models work in cancer care requires close attention to the financial and quality measures and a commitment to culture change, said experts gathered October 25 at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

In an interview, the section chief of hepatology at Rush University Medical Center discussed why the addition of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis code K76.82 is necessary.

Panelists who have reviewed the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) say it puts additional requirements on practices with reduced monthly payments, and its risk modeling could put a small practice out of business.

Jason Ezra Hawkes, MD, MS, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of California Davis in Sacramento, discussed how prior authorizations and other insurance requirements are limiting treatment access in atopic dermatitis and how dermatologists can help ameliorate these approval issues.

Athena Gierbolini, president of Hope for HS, a nonprofit advocacy group for those affected with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), spoke on common stigmas regarding HS and how clinicians can improve consultation through a culturally sensitive approach.

Dupilumab exhibited similarly significant and sustained improvements in atopic dermatitis (AD) signs, symptoms, and quality of life of adult patients with moderate to severe AD, regardless of age of disease onset, compared with placebo.

Improved outcomes associated with fidaxomicin compared with vancomycin suggest benefits from its greater use in Medicare patients, although uptake remains low despite its recommended use.

A study of women and girls from families with hemophilia in Thailand assessed the emotional impact of a carrier diagnosis and emphasized the value of comprehensive management.

According to the study authors, acute decompensated pulmonary hypertension (PH) is often accompanied by systemic congestion and right ventricular flow output, and because PH can be accompanied by acute kidney injury, renal replacement therapy (RRT) may be necessary.

Informal caregivers of people with Parkinson disease residing in the United Kingdom discussed challenges faced in providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included risk of infection, lack of access to care, and the impact of lockdown on engaging in activities of daily living.

Because of its often slowly progressive nature, dementia is often included among chronic disease management programs. Yet, for many reasons, its management demands different approaches.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, discussed several policy needs for home health care, including improved caregiver support, updated eligibility criteria for in-home care, and reimbursement for telehealth.

The author, the dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University Los Angeles, says a Supreme Court ruling could upend insurance protections for patients with kidney diseases, disproportionately hurting those who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other diverse ethnicities.

Blacks and Hispanics with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are more than twice as likely to have severe outcomes from COVID-19 compared with White patients with SLE, a new study has found.

The index for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) was crafted based on a literature review by a multidisciplinary team of experts.

Despite known racial disparities in access to advanced heart failure (HF) treatments, the reasons for this continue to require further exploration. In this new study, investigators searched for associations between ventricular assist device use and heart transplant and race (Black or White).

A medical student at the University of Kansas discusses a research project she started in her first year of school—2020—looking at whether a racial bias in pulse oximetry was present in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

The goal of this new study was to gain more information on the disease burden, including costs, of patients living with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).