Latest Conference Articles

The organizations that can take on 2-sided risk are usually bigger and that’s not always better for health care, said Jayson Slotnik, partner, Health Policy Strategies, Inc.

Alignment of incentives in the United States do not always support the use of biosimilars or other lower-cost alternatives, said Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, vice president of biosimilars at Cardinal Health.

Data to be presented next week during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting show that for every 10% increase in public welfare spending, there was a 4.55% narrowing of the 5-year overall survival (OS) disparity between Black and White patients with cancer.

Jessica Brooks, MPM, president and chief executive officer, Pittsburgh Business Group on Health, spoke on the core themes of her keynote address related to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the 2022 Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health annual conference.

Abstracts presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022 showed that RBX2660, an investigational microbiota-based drug, was more likely to reduce the recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) compared with placebo.

At Digestive Disease Week 2022, John M. DeWitt, MD, professor of medicine, Indiana University Health, explains his findings on the diagnosis and management of achalasia in 2022 and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected these trends.

During a State-of-the-Art Lecture at Digestive Disease Week 2022, Jessica L. Mellinger, MD, MSc, explained how the COVID-19 pandemic has driven increases in rates of alcohol use and associated liver disease, as well as what can be done at the clinic, societal, and policy levels to address these trends.

At Digestive Disease Week 2022, Sravanthi Parasa, MD, gastroenterologist at Swedish Gastroenterology, talks about how artificial intelligence (AI) is used in gastroenterology and what challenges it may pose for clinicians.

Investigational microbiota-based live therapeutic RBX2660 was found to be safe and effective at reducing Clostridioides difficile (C difficile) recurrence, said Paul Feuerstadt, MD, assistant clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine, gastroenterologist at PACT Gastroenterology Center, at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

Evidence shows that weight loss achieved through bariatric and endoscopic surgery can help treat and reverse nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but optimal procedure selection and timing vary by patient factors, according to speakers at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

Outcomes were worse for patients hospitalized once for Clostridioides difficile infection compared with alternative reasons for hospitalization, but the risk of adverse outcomes did not seem to increase with recurrent admissions for C difficile, explained Preethi Venkat, MD, second-year internal medicine resident at University of California, San Diego, at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

A pair of posters presented at Digestive Disease Week 2022 showed the efficacy of an investigational biotherapeutic in preventing Clostridioides difficile infection recurrence and restoring the microbiome.

Speakers at Digestive Disease Week 2022 presented research on how health disparities and socioeconomic factors can contribute to changes in the gut microbiome that have implications for cancer risk, immune health, and overall well-being.

Because symptoms are similar to those of gastroesophageal reflux disease, achalasia is often misdiagnosed, explained Eric Low, MD, MPH, gastroenterology fellow at University of California, San Diego at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

The accumulation of screening and treatment disparities are contributing to colorectal cancer incidence and mortality disparities, said Folasade (Fola) May, MD, PhD, gastroenterologist, health services researcher at University of California, Los Angeles, at Digestive Disease Week 2022.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the gastrointestinal field continues to advance, speakers at Digestive Disease Week 2022 discussed how these tools can be put into practice to improve efficiency, reduce physician burnout, and reap cost savings.

Latha Alaparthi, MD, gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut, talks about lessons she has learned from being a woman in a medical leadership position and what she hopes to teach others at the Women in GI Luncheon at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022.

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022, held virtually and in San Diego, California, from May 21 to 24, will feature research and presentations exploring new ways to prevent and treat digestive diseases.

While 2023 is a big year with at least 7 adalimumab biosimilars expected to come to market, 2024 will be even more important because all the products will be on the market and formulary decisions can be made, said Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, vice president of biosimilars at Cardinal Health.

Biosimilar adoption can be accelerated or stymied depending on actions taken by the managed care space, explained Sonia Oskouei, PharmD, vice president, biosimilars, Cardinal Health, during a session at Asembia’s Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

David Skomo, and Nick Page, PharmD, of WellDyne offered their perspectives on recent developments in precision medicine at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

In a session at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, Jayne Hornung, chief clinical officer at Managed Markets Insights & Technology (MMIT), outlined factors driving payer hesitation when it comes to covering prescription digital therapeutics.

Katharine Rimes, PharmD, and John Bosso, MD, discussed updates in management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

UPMC Health Plan, RxAnte, and Mosaic Pharmacy Services outlined how they are operating a value-based pharmacy care management program within Community HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s managed Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) program, at a recent conference.

When it comes to making equity improvements and successes sustainable, leadership from the top levels are required, and that means finding champions who are bold, open to collaboration, and willing to explore new partnerships with an open mind, the panel agreed.

Future quality conversations must recognize what the pandemic has illustrated over the past 2 years—that patients who were in the most dire need of health care, including those with multiple chronic conditions, had the least amount of access, said Jonathan Blum, MPP, the principal deputy administrator and chief operating officer of CMS.

Addressing rural care is a way of addressing health inequities, and the Biden administration’s recent investment in rural care reflects its commitment to addressing health equity, said Ryan Urgo, MPAP, managing director, health policy, Avalere.

At the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) 2022 Annual Meeting Wednesday, participants heard about some unexpected insights arising from a workshop held this week between patients and pharmacists who are creating a patient-centered outcomes research agenda focused on addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in the community pharmacy setting.

Panelists discussed results of a survey conducted among 171 benefits leaders representing more than 40 million covered lives.

The pandemic drove telehealth usage, but it has challenges that might prevent doctors from prescribing new therapies, said Doug Long, MBA, vice president, industry relations, IQVIA.