Top 5 Most-Read PHEO Articles of 2024

The American Journal of Accountable Care relaunched in September 2024 as Population Health, Equity & Outcomes (PHEO), bringing a refreshed focus on the critical issues at the intersection of health policy, practice, and population health. While the publication’s name, look, and focus changed, its dedication to publishing high-quality peer-reviewed articles, editorial features, and conference coverage remains the same.

Here are the 5 most-read PHEO journal articles in 2023.

5. Delivering on the Promise of Accountable and Value-Based Care

This Insights article by a leader at CVS Health, published in the March issue, exhorts physicians to accelerate the transition to value-based care by participating in accountable care organizations (ACOs). ACOs help providers enhance care coordination, link patients with needed social services, and understand data and metrics that can inform care decisions. Aside from joining an ACO, the author also encourages physicians to stay up to date on the evolution of value-based care via publications like PHEO and to collaborate with partners on their journey away from the fee-for-service model.

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4. Can Different Pricing Models Address the Obesity Problem in America?

In this feature article published in the March issue, a PHEO editorial team member writes about the possibility of changing pricing models to give more patients access to antiobesity medications. For instance, experts weigh in on whether the “Netflix model,” which allows for a subscription-based payment plan to purchase a drug for patients on state insurance, could be adapted for use with antiobesity medications. Although the current multipayer system would make implementation difficult, it may be worth considering given the significant downstream comorbidities and costs associated with obesity.

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3. Reducing Delays in Breast Cancer Care Using an Innovative Digital Health Platform

Published in the June issue, this original research article reports the outcomes of a quality improvement initiative that aimed to reduce time from biopsy to treatment among women with breast cancer. Using an innovative clinical management workflow and digital health software created for use in the prior-authorization process, the investigators successfully achieved a significant reduction in time to treatment, thus minimizing the delays in initiation of breast cancer therapy that could potentially compromise patient outcomes.

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2. Primary Care Delivery Is in Urgent Need of Innovation

This article published in the March issue recapped an Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event cohosted by The American Journal of Managed Care® and Optum. During the evening event, speakers emphasized that innovation is urgently needed in primary care delivery. Ken Cohen, MD, executive director of translational research at OptumCare, presented the example of the Optimal Care model, which addresses low-value and wasteful care by guiding and incentivizing clinician decisions. Other speakers concurred that physicians are uniquely positioned to help reduce the unsustainable rise in US health care costs.

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1. Rising Costs Lead Insurers to Drop Weight Loss Drug Coverage, Further Increasing Patient Burden

In the September issue, this feature article published in the Center on Health Equity & Access section of PHEO described recent moves by insurers to stop covering glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for the management of obesity. These decisions come as payers grapple with the cost of covering GLP-1 medications for a growing number of patients, as well as concerns about patient discontinuation and nonadherence. Experts interviewed for the piece note that the insurers may have to re-evaluate their assessment of cost-effectiveness as more long-term data emerge.

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