Skylar is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The Center for Biosimilars®, and joined AJMC® in 2020. She is responsible for covering all aspects of the ever-changing global biosimilar industry and produces content that is accessible and informative for all health care stakeholders.
She has a BA in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University. You can connect with Skylar on LinkedIn.
Using Telemedicine for Respiratory Infections May Lead to More Care Later
April 17th 2021The study, on the quality of on-demand video telemedicine services, found that patients using telemedicine for respiratory infections were more likely to receive follow-up care, causing higher health care spending.
COVID-19 Pandemic Provides Glimpse Into Potential Cause of Kawasaki Disease in Children
April 10th 2021Given the high prevalence of Kawasaki disease during the pandemic, Japanese investigators determined that droplet or contact transmission of pathogens is likely not a major route causing the development of the disease.
Review on Blended Self-management Shows Mixed Results on Relieving COPD Burden
April 8th 2021A meta-analysis, where many studies ranged in evidence quality, revealed mixed results on the effectiveness of blended self-management interventions in chronic lung conditions, establishing a need for more research.
Study Finds Depression, Anxiety to Be More Common in COPD Than Other Chronic Comorbidities
April 6th 2021Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were found to be more likely to take medications for depression or anxiety than for other common comorbidities associated with the disease, investigators concluded.
Korean Quality Assessment Program Found to Be Effective at Improving COPD Care
April 2nd 2021A quality assessment program conducted in the Republic of Korea may be effective in improving disease management and prognosis for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the effects may be temporary.
Low-Carb Diet May Help Achieve Type 2 Diabetes Remission, Study Finds
April 1st 2021A review found that a low-carbohydrate diet may lead patients with type 2 diabetes to experience disease remission, potentially providing new insight into how clinicians can help patients better manage their disease, investigators concluded.
Study Finds That Physicians’ Financial Conflicts of Interest May Influence Black Lung Diagnosis
March 31st 2021Researchers found that physicians may have a financial conflict of interest when examining a chest x-ray for black lung disease, suggesting that sweeping changes are needed to avoid biases and improve transparency.
Short-term Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide May Increase Risk of Death From Respiratory Disease
March 27th 2021Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), an air pollutant generated from automobiles, may increase risk of mortality, even if the exposure amount is well below regulatory limits, investigators concluded.
Study Finds 3-Fold Higher Care Costs for Patients With COPD Than Healthy Patients
March 26th 2021Largely driven by hospitalizations and medications, health care costs were found to be 3 times greater for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) than for healthy individuals, according to a recent Danish study.
Survey Finds Unmet Needs Despite Good HRQOL for Patients With PAH
March 21st 2021Despite patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension reporting good quality of life and low symptom severity, functional limitations persisted, suggesting improvements to the patient experience are needed, according to researchers.
Possible Value in Using Clinically Important Deterioration as COPD Prognosis Indicator
March 20th 2021Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with clinically important deterioration were found to have greater exacerbations and mortality risks; however, triplet therapy could help rectify that.
Poster Presentations Demonstrate New Safety and Efficacy Data on Zolgensma for SMA
March 19th 2021Spinal muscular atrophy treatment Zolgensma was found to be safe and effective for long-term use and use in presymptomatic patients, according to posters presented at the 2021 MDA Virtual Clinical & Scientific Conference.
Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 May Experience Long-term Physical and Psychological Symptoms
March 17th 2021Patients discharged from hospitals after recovering from severe COVID-19 were found to have lasting functional impairment and post-traumatic stress symptoms months after, according to a study.
Study Offers Snapshot of Successes and Challenges of Teens and Young Adults With SMA
March 14th 2021Results of a survey depicting the ways that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) affects the lives of adolescents and young adults revealed areas of support that need to be addressed to ensure that patients are able to live their best possible lives.
Researchers Identify Patients With COPD at Risk for Hypercapnia Development
March 13th 2021Researchers analyzed 2 cohorts of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to characterize who is most at risk for developing hypercapnia and who could most benefit from at-home noninvasive inhalation therapy.
Virtual Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs for COPD Must Continue to Address Patient Access
March 12th 2021Telerehabilitation programs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have to address uptake barriers surrounding inadequate funding and access issues for elderly patients in order to last in a post–COVID-19 world, according to researchers.
Patients With Lower SES or Uncontrolled Disease May Be More Likely to Stop Biologic Therapy
March 6th 2021Although 90% of patients with severe asthma choose to continue using a biologic, patients with worse disease control at baseline or with lower socioeconomic status (SES) may be more likely to cease biologic use, according to a poster presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2021 Annual Meeting.
Certain COPD, Asthma Medications May Increase COVID-19 Hospitalization Risk
March 5th 2021Study results show that patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and comorbid asthma may have a greater risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 if they use bronchodilators or steroids plus bronchodilators.
Study Identifies Thousands of Potential Diagnosis Errors Among Patients With COPD
March 3rd 2021Researchers found that thousands of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) did not follow the traditional trajectory associated with the disease, suggesting a possible incorrect diagnosis.
Permanent Disability Claims for RA May Rise in Years Following COVID-19 Crisis
February 27th 2021From 1999 to 2015, permanent disability claims for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) spiked during periods of economic recessions, suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic may create a similar effect in the near future.