AJMC® in the Press, January 27, 2017

A study recently published by The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®) examining the impact of electronic health record (EHR) use on the frequency of diagnostic test orders was picked up by 3 different news outlets this week. Becker’s Hospital Review ran an article titled “Study: Physicians with EHR access order more tests than those without,” while Healthcare Informatics published a similar item, “Study: EHRs Lead to More Imaging Tests, not Less.” The findings were also summarized by HealthIT Analytics in an article called “EHR Use Correlated with Higher Rates of Blood, Imaging Tests.”

Amid the breaking news that a federal judge had blocked the merger of Aetna and Humana, a Healthcare Informatics article on the ruling cited an AJMC^® newsroom piece from July 2015, when the acquisition was announced. Rajiv Leventhal of Healthcare Informatics mentioned that the AJMC^® article, “Aetna to Buy Humana for $37 Billion as Consolidation in Managed Care Continues,” had raised concerns that the trend of consolidation could thwart competition and increase consumer prices.

President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding the Affordable Care Act’s repeal sparked uncertainty about its implications for many components of the healthcare system. A newsroom story from AJMC^®, “Executive Order's Effect on Bundled Payment Rule Unclear,” discussed the potential impact on a new bundled payment rule from CMS. Becker’s ASC Review distilled the AJMC^® article into a list of 5 key notes about how the order could put bundled payments in jeopardy.

The Heartland Institute published a commentary on how removing barriers to direct primary care (DPC) in Alabama could “help revitalize the state’s primary healthcare system.” Author Matthew Glans supported his position with the results of a 2012 AJMC^® study that found DPC patients had lower urgent and avoidable hospital admissions. In the study “Personalized Preventive Care Leads to Significant Reductions in Hospital Utilization,” the authors argued that this model could enable physicians to take a more proactive approach to care.