Population Health

Kenneth Cohen, MD, FACP, executive director of clinical research at UnitedHealth Group Research and Development and senior national medical director at OptumCare, discusses evidence-based education and other tools to address low-value care.

A bipartisan congressional report estimates overdose deaths cost the United States $1 trillion yearly; 4 states announce plans to lift their statewide mask mandates for schools; study finds greater risk of pregnancy complications in expectant mothers with moderate COVID-19 symptoms.

The CDC's wastewater monitoring program will soon begin evaluating more water samples for COVID-19; vaccine guidance changes for individuals who are immunocompromised may be forthcoming; exposure to air pollution levels vastly greater than that advised by World Health Organization guidelines.

Part 1 of a 2-part webinar series by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions addressed issues in health care coverage affordability and how equitable health benefits and value-based design can reduce cost while improving employee engagement.

Minority patients and those with low income were more likely than White and high-income counterparts to report adverse outcomes in the management of asthma and eczema.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Michael Sun, a medical student at the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, who served as first author of a Health Affairs study showing that race and bias were significantly associated with negative patient descriptors in the electronic health record.

In this column, an endocrinologist discusses the growing problem of liver disease and new options at their disposal, including vibration-controlled transient elastography.

For the first time, a major study showed that remission for peanut allergy can be achieved even in very young children using oral immunotherapy.

Israeli study finds the added antibody protection from a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose is not enough to prevent Omicron infection; Texas abortion law remains in effect after appeals court ruling; insurer spending for the unproven COVID-19 drug ivermectin was estimated at $2.5 million for a week last summer.

Short-term exposure to several different types of air pollution was found to significantly increase disease severity in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

Patients with atopic dermatitis were shown to be more likely to receive a COVID-19 diagnosis than the general population.

Children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD) tended to have a higher number of delinquent behaviors than those without AD, including fighting, cheating on exams, and suspension.

President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for large businesses was met with skepticism from the conservative-majority Supreme Court; COVID-19 hospitalization rates are rising for young children not yet eligible for vaccination; exercise is shown to lower risk of dementia even in those already presenting with symptoms.

Theresa Juday, RPh, director, Specialty Product Development, CVS Health, discusses the potential of cognitive behavioral therapy to address health disparities in underserved communities.

Patients with diabetes living in rural or deprived regions in the United States are less likely to achieve optimal care for their condition, according to a new cross-sectional study.

US cases of COVID-19 surge to record levels; FDA expands eligibility for Pfizer/BioNTech booster doses to children ages 12 to 15 years old; Israeli study finds fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine effective and safe.

Anthony Fauci, MD, said the CDC is considering changes to its guidance requiring a negative COVID-19 test after 5-day quarantine; bipartisan legislation banning surprise medical billing goes into effect; booster vaccine programs may be limiting global vaccine supply for low- and middle-income countries.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 8.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 7.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 5.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 4.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 2.

This 8-part conversation with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Newton Family Physicians, moderated by The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), focuses on the role of value-based care, independent care practices, and other aspects of health care that have been and continue to be affected by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, even as we enter 2022. This is part 1.

Psoriasis severity and treatment outcomes were found to differ across US geographic regions, in which the East South Central and West South Central regions were associated with the greatest frequencies of very severe disease burden and decreased likelihood of achieving targeted response within 6 months of initiating biologic therapy.

Key opinion leaders discuss the state of mental health in the US workforce, persistent unmet needs, and efforts to improve coverage and uptake of behavioral health services.

Childhood psoriasis was found to be significantly associated with environmental tobacco smoke exposure, whereas intrauterine smoking exposure was not associated with an increased risk in pediatric populations.

In an interview conducted before the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant began driving another wave of infections, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD, FASTMH, discussed the struggle public health officials and scientists have in fighting false beliefs about vaccinations.

CDC data shown to overstate US vaccination rates; school-based cognitive behavioral therapy for overwhelmed children; Moderna to develop Omicron-specific COVID-19 booster dose.

When a flu season is mild, it can make developing a vaccine for the following season a bit more difficult as it can be hard to find the right match, but on the other hand, the US health system could benefit from less stress this winter given the unrelenting demands posed by COVID-19, says Leslie Kantor, PhD, MPH, chair and professor of the Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health.

Daniel Greer, PharmD, BCPP, clinical assistant professor, Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, speaks on how capabilities of cognitive behavioral therapy have evolved to a more user-friendly approach in the management of chronic insomnia.