Health Care Delivery

This study evaluated levels of 4 biomarkers associated with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) before and after treatment with the angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor sacubitril/valsartan.

In some cases, however, the rate of decline is no different than that of the general population, according to new research.

Use of a chitosan-based gel dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery for nasal polyps was found to reduce risk of wound infection and synechia in patients, although no difference was observed regarding granulations.

Continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use as part of a telemedicine program in patients with type 2 diabetes transitioning out of a hospital setting and to a different diabetes therapy was evaluated in this new open-label study.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Tham Thi Le, PhD, MPH, lead author—then at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, now at AstraZeneca—and Linda Wastila, PhD, MSPH, senior author and the Parke-Davis Chair in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, discuss the findings of their investigation into opioid use by patients with a new cancer diagnosis and the opioid prescribing practices of their health care providers from 2007 to 2013.

Fine-tuning clinical phenotypes and identifying effective treatments remain challenging in chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) after lung transplantation and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation.

Elaine Siegfried, MD, professor of pediatrics and dermatology, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, explains the impact of socioeconomic status on the management of atopic dermatitis in the clinical setting.

The latest report from FAIR Health shows that the majority of people diagnosed post-COVID condition were never hospitalized.

Real-world patients with psoriasis demonstrated significant improvement in difficult-to-treat scalp, nail, palmoplantar, and genital disease manifestations with the IL-23 inhibitor tildrakizumab.

Neil Goldfarb, president and chief executive officer of Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (GPBCH), provides an overview of the core discussion points and other aspects in-person attendees can look forward to at the 2022 GPBCH Annual Conference.

Patients with cold agglutinin disease faced a 4.5-times greater risk of death during winter months, new data show.

Findings of the 52-week phase 3 LIBERTY AD PED-OLE trial showed dupilumab to have an adequate safety profile and incremental clinical benefit with continued use among pediatric patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

A survey of patients and health care providers found both groups favor at-home administration of biologics when possible.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with one of the authors of a paper published this month in Health Affairs about the utilization of substance use disorder treatment (SUD) services between 2010 and 2019, and why more needs to be done to get more individuals into treatment.

Today, health plans are shifting dollars to more value-based contracts along with investments in population health management. Digitizing lab results across all care settings and unlocking the potential of lab values can help health plans reach the Triple Aim of improving the patient experience, improving the health of populations, and reducing the per-member cost of health care.

A cross-sectional analysis found that protein biomarkers were associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate, which may capture early kidney impairment.

The report details totals paid to hospitals by private insurers and providers and compares the sums with a Medicare benchmark.

Experts warn, however, that human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations missed because of the COVID-19 pandemic could stymie this progress.

Significantly greater persistence, adherence, and time on monotherapy was achieved with the use of ixekizumab vs the biologics adalimumab, etanercept, secukinumab, and ustekinumab, in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis.

Dupilumab improved lung function and reduced severe asthma exacerbation rates in children with moderate to severe asthma with or without atopic comorbidities.

FDA to make an announcement regarding importation of baby formula; first-line use of nivolumab and ipilimumab vs standard of care chemotherapy fails to meet primary end point of overall survival in phase 3 CheckMate 901 trial; study finds link between antibiotic prescriptions and inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis in older adults.

Two periods of sacubitril/valsartan initiation were compared in a study population of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF): less than 3 months or 3 or more months following first HFrEF diagnosis.

A retrospective study assessed hospital readmission rates in patients with sickle cell disease and acute chest syndrome who took angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers vs those who did not.

Patients with psoriatic disease who live in low-income countries exhibited the highest disease activity and impact despite similar usage of biologic drugs to that of higher-income areas.

Infertility as a predisposing factor for heart failure (HF) was the subject of this new study evaluating outcomes among postmenopausal women.

While CMS has started making changes to address health equity through policy and payment models, commercial plans are waiting to see the outcomes before they follow suit, said Jayson Slotnik, partner, Health Policy Strategies, Inc.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, chief, division of dermatology, Seattle Children's Hospital, discussed the emergence of effective therapies for the management of atopic dermatitis and how dermatologists and other providers involved in patient care can better promote earlier use of these treatments.

Data from this new study suggest melanoma cases rose at a slower rate in lower-income countries, but the authors say that may be due to differences in case documentation.

Veterans residing in rural areas were less likely to complete annual repeat lung cancer screenings compared with those living in a nonrural location, with reduced uptake of initial lung cancer screening also found among eligible veterans in rural vs nonrural locations.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) was associated with a variety of comorbid conditions, from psoriasis to hypertension.