The American journal of managed care
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A look at the special challenges of delivering cancer care in rural areas, as ASCO seeks to address this issue.
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To measure the impact of patient-centered communication on mortality and hospitalization among patients with heart failure (HF). ⋯ Among community patients living with HF, excellent and good patient-centered communication is associated with a reduced risk of death. Patient-centered communication can be easily assessed, and consideration should be given toward implementation in clinical practice.
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Observational Study
Inpatient-outpatient shared electronic health records: telemedicine and laboratory follow-up after hospital discharge.
Continuity of patient information across settings can improve transitions after hospital discharge, but outpatient clinicians often have limited access to complete information from recent hospitalizations. We examined whether providers' timely access to clinical information through shared inpatient-outpatient electronic health records (EHRs) was associated with follow-up visits, return emergency department (ED) visits, or readmissions after hospital discharge in patients with diabetes. ⋯ Real-time clinical information availability during transitions between health care settings, along with robust telemedicine access, may shift the method of care delivery without adversely affecting patient health outcomes. Efforts to expand interoperability and information exchange may support follow-up care efficiency.
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To mark the 25th anniversary of the journal, each issue in 2020 will include an interview with a health care thought leader. The October issue features a conversation with Kavita K. Patel, MD, MS, nonresident fellow at The Brookings Institution and editorial board member of AJMC®.
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Chronic cough, defined as cough lasting 8 weeks or more in adults, accounts for approximately 16 million outpatient visits per year. Chronic cough exerts a significant burden on the quality of life of patients, which is often why they initially seek treatment. Various factors have contributed to the high cost associated with the burden of chronic cough, from multiple referrals and unnecessary repeat testing to polypharmacy and development of comorbidities due to lack of proper treatment. ⋯ New targeted therapies in the clinical pipeline are expected to expand the treatment landscape and meet the unaddressed gaps for safe and efficacious agents that can provide relief and better management for patients. Access to appropriate care based on clinical guidelines is associated with favorable outcomes. Managed care organizations should consider treatment guidelines, patient factors, and emerging pharmacologic as well as nonpharmacologic treatment options to create a streamlined approach to managing chronic cough treatment in an evidence-based and cost-effective manner.