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What We're Reading: J&J, Apple Trial Partnership; Conscientious Vaccine Exemptions; Suicide Prevention Efforts
Johnson & Johnson and Apple’s Heartline trial is serving as a model of success for virtual clinical trials; from 2012 to 2018, conscientious vaccine exemption rates rose in Texas schools; a 25% increase in emergency department visits in just 2 years from patient self-harm shows the importance of suicide prevention.
J&J, Apple Join Forces in Heartline Virtual Clinical Trial
The Heartline trial from Johnson & Johnson and Apple hopes to show that the eponymous app and the Apple Watch’s irregular rhythm notification and electrocardiogram apps help to reduce stroke risk, according to Forbes. Billed as “the largest randomized trial in the history of cardiovascular disease,” with 4000 patients enrolled since February 25, Heartline is also aiming to show how to increase patient participation in clinical trials, such as for patients with autoimmune diseases for whom travel is difficult. At present, most studies face delays and low, or no, patient enrollment.
Conscientious Vaccine Exemption Rates Jump in Texas Schools
Study results show that conscientious vaccine exemption (CVE) rates increased in public, private, and charter schools in Texas between 2012 and 2018, reports PLoS Medicine. These rates jumped from 2% to 6%, 20% to 26%, and 17% to 22%, respectively. The authors believe these rates have gone up because of a drop in health literacy and a rise in distrust of medical authority. The New York Times reports that medical professionals have even received death threats when posting factual vaccination information. According to the CDC, childhood vaccines prevent up to 20 million cases of diseases each year.
Emergency Visits Increase From Patient Self-harm, Suicidal Thoughts
Two recent reports from the CDC detail the importance of suicide prevention efforts, reports JAMA. Emergency departments saw a more than 25% jump in patient visits because of suicidal thoughts and self-harm, or both, in the past 2 years, while suicide rates have gone up by 40% in working-aged adults in less than 20 years. The authors stress the importance of addressing the risk of suicide at several levels, including in the community and society at large, as well as implementing workplace wellness strategies and providing access to supportive services.
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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