The American journal of managed care
-
To determine whether elimination of co-pays for prescription drugs affects medication adherence and total health care spending. ⋯ Elimination of co-pays for drugs indicated to treat chronic illnesses was associated with increases in medication adherence and reductions in overall spending of $63. Benefit designs that eliminate co-pays for patients with chronic illnesses may improve adherence and reduce the total cost of care.
-
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the workflow of clinics. We applied Lean Six Sigma processes to optimize clinic workflow to reduce patient wait times and improve the patient experience. ⋯ Simple, inexpensive measures can improve patient engagement and provide a safe setting for patients for clinic visits in the wake of COVID-19. In the future, clinics' common wait areas could be reappropriated to increase the number of clinic exam rooms.
-
This study measured the likelihood of adult patients with diabetes being referred to diabetes self-management education (DSME) when "in need" according to clinical guidelines and identified which types of clinical need predict a greater likelihood of provider referral to DSME. ⋯ Although findings indicate that patient need for DSME does improve the likelihood of being referred, provider referral rates were significantly lower than anticipated. Future research should explore barriers to clinical guideline adherence and whether clinical decision support in EHR systems can facilitate provider referrals.
-
The price of analogue insulin has increased dramatically, making it unaffordable for many patients and insurance carriers. By contrast, human synthetic insulins are available at a fraction of the cost. The objective of this study was to examine whether patients with financial constraints were more likely to use low-cost human insulins compared with higher-cost analogue insulins and to determine whether outcomes differ between users of each type of insulin. ⋯ Patients with financial risk factors may be more likely to use low-cost human synthetic insulins compared with insulin analogues. Outcomes were similar, even when stratified by financial risk.
-
To investigate the status of nursing interruption events during medicine administration and to analyze the factors influencing interruptions. ⋯ Nursing interruption events occur frequently, come from many sources, have complex causes, and commonly lead to negative outcomes. Interruption also has a time cost and can directly lead to medication errors.