Health System

More than 100 health care organizations signed a HHS climate resilience pledge; linking patients in addiction treatment with a primary care practitioner is linked with improved long-term health outcomes; older men and women with weak grip strength may have accelerated biological aging.

A new study found that an imbalance of 2 placental proteins, serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and placental growth factor, could predict the risk of a severe form of preeclampsia.

Increased hospital mortality odds among non–COVID-19 patients imply compromised quality of care during COVID-19 surges. No large-scale changes were found in discharges to other facilities.

Real-world patients with atopic dermatitis with dark skin types showed greater mean reduction in disease severity between baseline and 6 months with dupilumab compared with those with light skin types, whereas no differences were observed regarding severity reduction for methotrexate and ciclosporin.

Several known risk factors and prodromal features were associated with Parkinson disease, including traumatic brain injury and alcohol misuse, along with other comorbidities such as skin and gastrointestinal disorders.

An analysis of Medicaid coverage found that Mississippi was the only state not to provide coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in adults aged 27 to 45 years.

Abortion rights measures on the ballot saw victories in all 5 states; South Dakota voted to expand access to Medicaid; rates of inflammatory heart conditions were increased in people with the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

A phase 3 study showed Ferring’s RBX2660, an investigational microbiota-based live biotherapeutic, to be safe and significantly reduce recurrence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after antibiotic treatment, with a sustained response achieved through 6 months.

Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) begins Wednesday in Tennessee with 2 days of discussions on how to achieve the related goals of closing health care disparities and eliminating barriers for patients.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will give cancer claims priority when a new law takes effect in January 2023; Pfizer is looking to use its COVID-19 profits to grow other blockbusters; the probable loss of Medicaid coverage for millions next year is setting off debate.

Gene therapy is a novel approach to hemophilia A treatment that carries a substantial cost up front but may lead to cost savings compared with current prophylaxis agents in the long run.

Daniel E. Weiner, MD, MS, board certified nephrologist and lead navigator at Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute, spoke on the limitations and future potential of value-based payment systems for chronic kidney disease (CKD), including the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Treatment Choices (ETC) Model and the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Models.

More than 1 in 4 adults have 1 or more conditions that fall into the cardio-renal-metabolic category, according to findings released during Kidney Week 2022.

It has been 3 years since new kidney care payment models were announced by HHS, and at a session at Kidney Week 2022, the associate division director of nephrology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham described his organization’s participation in Kidney Care First, one of the value-based care models announced in 2019.

With no sign that medical misinformation is going away, a session at Kidney Week 2022 delved into how nephrologists and researchers can educate and inform the public.

A study presented at Kidney Week 2022 examined the effect of combining diet coaching with financial assistance for Black adults with hypertension and advanced chronic kidney disease.

Brent W. Miller, MD, board certified nephrologist and professor of clinical medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, discussed new and emerging technologies for at-home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, as well as efforts that have been made to address uptake issues for patients with kidney disease.

A poster presented at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2022 showed that patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI), who had Medicare Advantage Part D coverage or were enrolled in a commercial health plan were associated with significantly greater health care resource utilization, including emergency department and inpatient visits, compared with those without rCDI.

A poster presented at Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2022 shows that patients with intermediate Parkinson disease place a significant resource burden on the US health care system in regard to treatment, emergency department visits, and admissions to rehabilitation centers.

Jim H. Rhodes, deputy county administrator, Camden County, New Jersey, spoke on how his organization’s membership with the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (GPBCH) has aided their value-based initiatives in improving health equity in the region.

Emergency department (ED) readmission was more common than dermatology follow-up among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) within 30 and 180 days of initially presenting to the ED, with patients with Medicaid coverage and those who had an opioid prescribed were more likely to return.

Brian Corvino, MBA, managing director, Life Sciences and Health Care Practice, Deloitte Consulting, LLP, offered an overview of how the surge of innovation in oncology—and resulting drug approvals—dominate the biopharmaceutical sector. He spoke at the Community Oncology Alliance's Payer Exchange Summit.

The program, serving patients from rheumatology, dermatology, gastroenterology, allergy, and cardiology clinics, is the first of its kind within the Veterans Health Administration, researchers said.

Making value-based payment models work in cancer care requires close attention to the financial and quality measures and a commitment to culture change, said experts gathered October 25 at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

In an interview, the section chief of hepatology at Rush University Medical Center discussed why the addition of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis code K76.82 is necessary.

Improved outcomes associated with fidaxomicin compared with vancomycin suggest benefits from its greater use in Medicare patients, although uptake remains low despite its recommended use.

Informal caregivers of people with Parkinson disease residing in the United Kingdom discussed challenges faced in providing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included risk of infection, lack of access to care, and the impact of lockdown on engaging in activities of daily living.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, discussed several policy needs for home health care, including improved caregiver support, updated eligibility criteria for in-home care, and reimbursement for telehealth.

A medical student at the University of Kansas discusses a research project she started in her first year of school—2020—looking at whether a racial bias in pulse oximetry was present in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the health care and mainstream press.