The American journal of managed care
-
To determine which combinations of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and multiple chronic conditions (MCC) contribute to total spending and differences in spending between groups based on sex, race/ethnicity, and rural residency. ⋯ When considering a range of MCC combinations, we observed differences in total payments between racial/ethnic minority groups and White beneficiaries. Our results highlight the ongoing need to make changes in the health care system to make the system more accessible to racial/ethnic minority groups.
-
The authors introduce a mobile phone app that may effectively prevent and manage coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in outpatient hemodialysis patients in Sichuan Province, China.
-
Cancer affects millions of Americans, and the number of cases is steadily rising. The increase in diagnosis of cancer cases comes with an associated increase in personal and economic burden. Earlier detection can improve treatment outcomes and may reduce the burden of cancer. ⋯ Although there are several single-cancer detection tests in development, multicancer screening tests have greater potential to allow for widespread screening in the general population. Three multicancer screening tests are being validated in ongoing clinical trials, including the CancerSEEK assay, the Galleri test, and the PanSeer assay, all of which show high specificity in preliminary findings. Further validation is required before multicancer detection tests are incorporated into general population cancer screening.
-
Elderly, homebound individuals comprise a vulnerable segment of society who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic through a myriad of unique challenges. There is a significant amount of fear of acquiring COVID-19 by seeking health care services, which has adversely affected patients by worsening fixable situations. Another challenge is the decrease in diagnostic support for evaluating patients compared with a pre-COVID-19 world. ⋯ Families are being forced to consider advance directives under an increased emotional strain as patients become "persons under investigation" for COVID-19. Technology has allowed for the provision of services through telehealth, and changes to policy by CMS have aided widespread implementation of telemedicine. We anticipate continuing to be nimble in the face of challenge and to provide timely and meaningful care for those who depend on our efforts.
-
To assess whether a care coordination and caregiver support intervention reduced use of acute medical services for both patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and their caregivers. ⋯ Although care coordination did not decrease overall acute health services use, coordination improved clinical documentation of patients' memory impairment. ED visits may have begun to decrease among patients. Finally, stress levels may have fallen among caregivers.