The American journal of managed care
-
Dry eye disease is a common but underdiagnosed disorder in the United States, and its prevalence is likely to increase as the nation's population ages. Although still regarded as little more than a nuisance by many clinicians and payers alike, dry eye disease is known to have both clinical consequences for ocular health and effects on vision-related quality of life in many people, impairing their ability to function well in vocational and social settings. Pharmaceutical treatments consist mainly of over-the-counter ocular lubricants ("artificial tears") and a few prescription drugs that address the inflammatory component of dry eye disease through immunomodulation and/or inhibition of T-cell activity. ⋯ They pointed to an existing unmet need in knowledge and therapeutics that can address the underlying causes of dry eye disease. Oyster Point Pharma supported the authorship of this article; the authors were members of the panel, and all panelists were compensated by Oyster Point Pharma. This article provides an overview of dry eye disease and summarizes the panel discussion.
-
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic threatens to worsen the opioid crisis, payers must rapidly deploy policies to ensure care for individuals with opioid use disorder.
-
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe disease with poor prognosis and shortened life expectancy. Treatment has traditionally involved the sequential use of endothelin receptor agonists, prostacyclin therapies, and nitric oxide pathway modulators, which each have distinct mechanisms of action leading to pulmonary vasodilation, and improvement in exercise capacity, hemodynamic measures, and clinical outcomes for patients with PAH. ⋯ Additionally, recent updates to the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines will be reviewed along with the updated evidence-based treatment algorithm. Finally, trial data will be evaluated for the recently developed agent selexipag and improved treprostinil delivery formulations that may provide enhanced convenience.
-
Group 1 pulmonary hypertension (or pulmonary arterial hypertension) is a rare, highly complex, and progressive disorder that is incurable and ultimately can lead to premature death. PAH causes significant physical, social, work, and emotional burdens among affected patients and their caregivers. Early diagnosis and initiation of treatment is required for best outcomes; however, the clinical presentation of PAH is nonspecific and frequently overlaps with several other conditions, often leading to a delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis. ⋯ Because PAH is classified into 7 subgroups, it is essential that individuals are grouped appropriately for the efficacy of treatment and avoidance of harm. As health-related quality of life for PAH is multifactorial, it is important that patients are involved in the clinical decision-making process and have access to multidisciplinary care. The purpose of this review is to update healthcare professionals on the management of PAH with the most current information on epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and diagnostic considerations.
-
To examine changes in hospital outpatient surgery trends and case mix for Medicare and privately insured patients needing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) following Medicare's removal of TKA from its Inpatient Only list on January 1, 2018. ⋯ Market and financial pressures are encouraging more outpatient care delivery; however, the speed of transition is dictated, in part, by regulatory constraints. Our results suggest that Medicare policy may influence surgical treatment approaches for Medicare and privately insured patients. Spillover implications need to be considered when weighing future Medicare regulatory decisions.