JAMA network open
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Compared with traditional Medicare (TM) fee-for-service plans, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans may provide more-efficient care for beneficiaries with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) without compromising care quality. ⋯ Compared with TM beneficiaries, MA beneficiaries had lower health care utilization without compromising care satisfaction and health status. This difference was more pronounced among beneficiaries with ADRD. These findings suggest that MA plans may be delivering health care more efficiently than TM, especially for beneficiaries with ADRD.
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Although there are many pharmacologic alternatives to opioids, it is unclear whether the structure of Medicare Part D formularies discourages use of the alternatives. ⋯ Lack of Medicare coverage for pharmacologic alternatives to opioids may be associated with increased opioid prescribing.
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The treatment plans of patients with cancer involve multiple modalities that oncologists need to explain to patients. One such modality is chemotherapy, in which information about the goals, duration, and expected complications of therapy are considered fundamental to achieving optimal patient understanding. Therefore, effective communication between patients and their treating physicians is important to ensure patient adherence to treatment and achieve better outcomes. ⋯ Most patients showed suboptimal understanding of aspects of their chemotherapy treatment plans. More effort and time should be dedicated to enhancing the understanding of chemotherapy plans among patients with lower educational levels. In addition, self-report surveys that evaluate patients' understanding of their chemotherapy treatment plans should be developed and added to the informed consent process to objectively assess how much a patient understands and to develop a stepwise patient education program that targets patients with the lowest levels of understanding.
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Retracted Publication
Association Between Maternal Exposure to Magnetic Field Nonionizing Radiation During Pregnancy and Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort.
An association between maternal exposure to magnetic field (MF) nonionizing radiation during pregnancy and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been reported in both animal and human studies. ⋯ Consistent with the emerging literature, this study suggests that in utero exposure to high levels of MF nonionizing radiation was associated with an increased risk of ADHD, especially ADHD with immune-related comorbidity. The findings should spur more research to examine the biological association of in utero MF exposure with risk of ADHD in offspring, given that almost everyone is exposed to it.
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Multicenter Study
Women's Representation in Leadership Positions in Academic Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, and Surgical Oncology Programs.
Women are underrepresented in medical leadership positions; however, representation of women among academic oncology leadership is unknown. ⋯ Gender disparity exists in academic MO, RO, and SO faculty, which is magnified at the chair level. Programs in MO and RO with a woman physician in a leadership position were associated with a higher percentage of women faculty, but this was not true for SO. These data will serve as a benchmark to monitor progress toward a more balanced workforce.