
Most-Read AJMC Studies and Commentaries of 2015
During 2015, the most popular papers published by The American Journal of Managed Care included studies on predicting adherence, engaging members and providers in chronic care management programs, care fragmentation among chronically ill patients, and using behavioral health interventions to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
During 2015, the most popular papers published by The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC) included studies on predicting adherence, engaging members and providers in chronic care management programs, care fragmentation among chronically ill patients, and using behavioral health interventions to improve outcomes and reduce costs.
Here are the most-read papers published in AJMC in 2015.
10. Limited Effects of Care Management for High Utilizers on Total Healthcare Costs
There has been a sharp contrast between the results of randomized and nonrandomized trials of care management to lower healthcare costs. In randomized trials, estimates of total cost savings are consistently low or none.
9. Predicting Adherence Trajectory Using Initial Patterns of Medication Filling
Being able to predict a patient’s adherence trajectory could help better target interventions to the patients who would benefit the most, the authors concluded.
8. Results From a National Survey on Chronic Care Management by Health Plans
Chronic care management programs are a standard part of the overall approach health plans are using to manage the health of their members.
7. Care Fragmentation, Quality, and Costs Among Chronically Ill Patients
Using claims data and identifying patterns of care, researchers were able to determine that chronically ill patients who see a primary care provider offering highly fragmented care were more likely to experience lapses in care quality and incur greater healthcare costs.
6. Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care: Utilization and Electronic Medical Record Capture
A majority of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) at a health maintenance organization have used acupuncture, chiropractic care, or both,
5. Private Sector Risk-Sharing Agreements in the United States: Trends, Barriers, and Prospects
Risk-sharing agreements between drug manufacturers and payers have seen greater use outside the United States, and this study sought to determine whether the use of these agreements might assist the evolution of the US healthcare system.
The
4. Employers Should Disband Employee Weight Control Programs
The authors of this paper argued that as no study has demonstrated that wellness programs focusing on weight control have had any positive effects, employers should disband them.
3. A Multidisciplinary Intervention for Reducing Readmissions Among Older Adults in a Patient-Centered Medical Home
A community-based multidisciplinary transitional care program significantly reduced readmission rates and increased the time to readmission, according to this
The multidisciplinary practice model, consisting of medical providers, clinical pharmacists, and social workers, also avoided potential costs.
2. Changing Physician Behavior: What Works?
A
1. Leveraging Remote Behavioral Health Interventions to Improve Medical Outcomes and Reduce Costs
The most read AJMC article of the year analyzed whether the use of remotely delivered behavioral health intervention could improve health, reduce hospital admissions, and lower the cost of care for individuals with a recent cardiovascular event.
The program was an 8-week behavioral health intervention and
Newsletter
Stay ahead of policy, cost, and value—subscribe to AJMC for expert insights at the intersection of clinical care and health economics.