The Role of Testing for C Difficile in Clinical Practice
November 26th 2024Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, AGAF, discusses how testing for Clostridioides difficile is recommended for hospitalized patients or outpatients with new-onset, unexplained diarrhea who have risk factors such as recent antibiotic use, hospitalization, or older age, and how empiric treatment should be initiated while awaiting test results if there is high clinical suspension.
Utilizing Antibiotics in Treatment of C Difficile
November 26th 2024The panelist discusses how antibiotics are paradoxically both the primary treatment for Clostridioides difficile infections and a major risk factor for recurrence since they disrupt the protective gut microbiome, which led to the development of alternative therapies like fecal microbiota transplantation to restore microbial balance and prevent reinfection.
Looking Ahead: Anticipating Changes in Lupus Guidelines and Clinical Practice
November 8th 2024Amit Saxena, MD, discusses how personalized treatment decisions for lupus nephritis require careful consideration of patient characteristics, multidisciplinary coordination, and emerging guidelines, while acknowledging both the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in clinical practice.
From Guidelines to Practice: Advancing Lupus Nephritis Treatment
November 8th 2024Amit Saxena, MD, discusses how evidence-based guidelines from ACR and KDIGO have evolved to shape lupus nephritis treatment approaches, emphasizing their critical role in standardizing patient care and incorporating recent advances like new therapeutic options and refined diagnostic criteria.
Overcoming Treatment Barriers: Strategies for Success
October 31st 2024Toby Maher, MD, PhD, discusses the various barriers that frequently hinder patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from receiving appropriate treatment and shares effective strategies he has implemented to overcome these challenges.
Incorporating Real-World Evidence for HER2+ NSCLC
October 28th 2024Panelists discuss how real-world evidence plays a crucial role in shaping both clinical decision-making and coverage policies for HER2-directed therapies in NSCLC, while exploring collaborative strategies between payers, providers, and manufacturers to balance equitable access with cost management.
Clinical Presentation and Risk Factors
October 24th 2024Toby Maher, MD, PhD, discusses how common signs and symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at diagnosis can indicate disease progression, while also identifying key risk factors associated with IPF and emphasizing the importance of modifying certain lifestyle factors to help prevent the disease.
Diagnosing IPF: Key Tests, Time to Diagnosis, and Importance of Early Detection
October 24th 2024Toby Maher, MD, PhD, discusses how idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is diagnosed through specific imaging and tests, with an average diagnosis time that can delay effective treatment, emphasizing that early diagnosis is crucial for reducing disease severity and expanding available treatment options.
Unmet Needs and Future Research
October 23rd 2024Panelists discuss how unmet needs in type 2 inflammatory diseases require further research, including developing more personalized treatment approaches, identifying novel biomarkers for better disease phenotyping, improving long-term disease control strategies, and addressing the psychosocial impacts of chronic inflammatory conditions to enhance patients’ overall quality of life and outcomes.
Factors Impacting Use of HER2 Therapies for NSCLC
October 21st 2024Panelists discuss how payer perspectives and access challenges impact the utilization of HER2-directed therapies in NSCLC, examining barriers to treatment initiation and persistence, aligning provider and payer priorities in outcome assessment, the role of real-world evidence in decision-making and policy formation, and strategies for collaborative efforts between stakeholders to balance equitable access with cost management.
HER2- Mutation Testing Considerations and Timing
October 21st 2024Panelists discuss how integrating HER2-directed therapies into existing NSCLC decision-making processes presents challenges, focusing on strategies for timely updates as new therapies emerge and the practicalities of HER2- mutation testing, including turnaround times and result interpretation for therapy selection.
Lupus Nephritis Management: Monitoring Strategies and Long-Term Study Results
October 18th 2024Panelists discuss the differences in efficacy and safety profiles between belimumab and voclosporin for lupus nephritis (LN) and how payers are evaluating their value, including considerations of cost-effectiveness in LN management.
Impact of IPF on Quality of Life and Financial Considerations
October 17th 2024Toby Maher, MD, PhD, discusses how idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) severely affects patients’ quality of life and daily functioning, with a median survival that underscores the disease’s severity, while also highlighting the substantial financial burden and health care resource utilization associated with managing this condition.
Overview of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
October 17th 2024Toby Maher, MD, PhD, discusses how idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a specific form of interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive lung scarring, which leads to significant respiratory impairment and distinct clinical challenges compared with other interstitial lung diseases.
Patient Education and Emerging Therapies
October 16th 2024Panelists discuss how health care providers can improve patient education and support for type 2 inflammatory conditions through personalized communication strategies and shared decision-making, while also evaluating the role of emerging biologic therapies in treatment plans based on individual patient factors, disease severity, and biomarker profiles.
Integrating HER2-Directed Therapies Into Standard Care for NSCLC
October 14th 2024Panelists discuss how incorporating HER2-directed therapies into NSCLC management strategies within managed care settings impacts clinical outcomes, operational processes, and economic considerations, while emphasizing the importance of identifying and selecting patient populations most likely to benefit from these targeted treatments.
Unmet Needs and Clinical Considerations for HER2+ NSCLC
October 14th 2024Panelists discuss how persistent unmet needs in HER2-directed therapy for NSCLC present opportunities for future research and pipeline therapies, potentially addressing challenges such as treatment resistance, improved efficacy, or reduced toxicity profiles.
Tailoring Lupus Nephritis Treatment: Key Considerations and Specialist Approaches
October 11th 2024Panelists discuss the considerations guiding treatment choices for lupus nephritis, such as drug interactions, patient characteristics, and steroid use, and how treatment approaches might differ between nephrologists and rheumatologists.
Belimumab and Voclosporin: Clinical Insights and Payer Evaluations in Lupus Nephritis
October 11th 2024Panelists discuss the differences in efficacy and safety profiles between belimumab and voclosporin for lupus nephritis (LN) and how payers are evaluating their value, including considerations of cost-effectiveness in LN management.