Brooke McCormick

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.

Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, associate professor at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, provided current clinical evidence supporting the use of oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors to treat patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

This study suggests that dose-escalation or low-dose regimens for roflumilast treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may improve adherence.

Robert Groves, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer, Banner|Aetna, discussed whether health systems should invest in social determinants of health.

This poster reported that photoprotection management of lupus is unaffordable for some patients, which may have an impact on sunscreen application frequency.

Reducing or quitting smoking significantly lowered the risk of lung cancer in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who smoked less than 30 pack-years in a recent study.

These posters both used the GLOBOSTAD study, which demonstrated through patient and physician assessments that dupilumab is a safe and effective treatment for adolescent and adult patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Posters reported the prevalence of autoimmune comorbidities among patients with vitiligo, demonstrating the need for earlier screenings and updated clinical guidelines.

Posters presented showed that patients with vitiligo have a heightened risk of stigma and subsequent mental health issues.

This study analyzed sex differences among patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), with findings indicating that female smokers experience worse hospital outcomes despite similar overall survival rates.

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD) face higher chances of learning and memory difficulties, particularly when they have neurodevelopmental comorbidities, like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Amy S. Paller, MD, of Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, noted that safety is of paramount importance when choosing which systemic therapy to use to treat children with atopic dermatitis (AD).

This scoping review discovered potential risks and critical gaps in the efficacy, safety, and transparency of current artificial intelligence (AI) dermatology mobile apps, emphasizing the need for regulatory intervention.

Krystyn Van Vliet, PhD, vice president for research and innovation at Cornell University's Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, discusses using engineered 3D platforms to identify potential multiple sclerosis (MS) drug candidates.

Results demonstrated a nonlinear relationship between admission heart rate (AHR) and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) and respiratory failure (RF).

Telehealth, which increased 63-fold from 2019 to 2020, has potential for managing and delivering care to patients with rheumatic diseases.

Amy S. Paller, MD, chair of the department of dermatology at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, discussed using systemic therapies to treat children with atopic dermatitis (AD).

A considerable number of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and limited health literacy, especially older individuals, experienced impaired health-related quality of life.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansions increased health care coverage for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women of childbearing age but had limited effects on prenatal care, birth outcomes, and health care supply.

Self-management (SM) among older patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is moderately low, and frailty and depression may partially mediate the relationship between social support and SM in these patients.

In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the higher the oxidative balance score, the lower the frailty risk, especially in women.

While the results of evolutionRMS, comparing evobrutinib with teriflunomide, were negative, that "doesn't mean that evobrutinib is not working," said Xavier Montalban, MD, PhD, director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Catalonia (Cemcat).

Ateyeh Soroush, a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary, explains her ongoing study utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to investigate hypoxia-related brain function impairment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

This study enhances current understandings of dupilumab use in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) by showing its real-world effectiveness and safety.

Kathy Zackowski, PhD, associate vice president of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, discusses the importance of MS rehabilitation and lists several successful strategies.

Ari Green, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, details the benefits of remyelination for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as the challenges faced when conducting remyelination trials.

Mitzi Joi Williams, MD, founder and medical director of Joi Life Wellness Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center, explains the issue of underrepresentation in MS clinical trials and the potential for digital health technologies to help overcome this barrier.

Krystyn Van Vliet, PhD, vice president for research and innovation at Cornell University, discusses MS drug discovery barriers and overcoming them using 3D platforms.

Dalia Rotstein, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, lists barriers to multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care delivery.

Marisa McGinley, DO, explains how technology can help improve access to multiple sclerosis (MS) care.