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What We're Reading: Homelessness and Coronavirus; ACP Launches Telemedicine Guide; HPV Vaccine May Treat Cervical Cancer
Worries grow as officials prepare to stem the spread of coronavirus among the nation’s homeless population; the American College of Physcians launched a new telemedicine guide; a study found the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, in addition to chemotherapy, may help treat cervical cancer.
Homeless Population Could Take a Toll on Hospitals
Some state models show that 60,000 homeless people may become infected with COVID-19, with up to 20% of them needing hospitalization, The Los Angeles Times reports. If this model were to play out, California would need 12,000 hospital beds to accommodate just the homeless population. Around 108,000 people currently live outdoors in California, and many have weakened immune systems and preexisting conditions. Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced $100 million in funding to help local jurisdictions boost shelter capacity and emergency housing. Hotels, motels, and other facilities will also be leased to provide space for the homeless to practice social distancing or become quarantined.
New Telemedicine Guide Launches
The American College of Physicians (ACP) launched a new telemedicine guide. The continuing medical education program aims to help physicians implement telemedicine and is free to all ACP members. Included in the guide are recommendations on how to introduce and sustain telemedicine video visits in a clinical setting and select the technical, licensure, insurance, and reimbursement components needed for an effective telemedicine program. In addition, the program offers guidance on reasons to use virtual visits, conducting video visits, reimbursement, and clinical use cases.
HPV Vaccine Shows Some Promise Treating Cervical Cancer
Strong human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine responses, applied during chemotherapy, are associated with prolonged cancer survival, according to a study published in Science Translational Medicine. The HPV vaccine is typically administered to prevent cervical cancer. This small “chemoimmunotherapy” trial found better outcomes for patients with advanced cervical cancer. The study found 43% of patients’ tumors regressed while another 43% saw their disease get no worse. However, the study did not include a chemo-only comparison arm.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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