The American journal of managed care
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Improvements in patient outcomes from the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) have not been extensively studied among patients with schizophrenia. This study assessed the association between EHR use, provision of quality care, and patient outcomes. Providers who were at least 50% compliant with current requirements for the CMS Electronic Health Records Incentive Program were classified as EHR providers. ⋯ EHR use was also associated with fewer inpatient admissions (15.9% vs 25.2%; P <.001) and emergency department visits (32.2% vs 49.3%; P <.001). These data suggest that EHR use may have a positive influence on the process and outcomes of psychiatric care when treating patients with schizophrenia. More research is needed to identify the drivers of the influence of EHRs and to develop programs that ensure all EHR users enjoy the same potential benefits as demonstrated here.
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To estimate heroin overdose trends among insured individuals and characterize patients and healthcare utilization preceding overdose to inform scale-up of effective prevention and treatment. ⋯ Heroin overdose rates were persistently higher among the Medicaid population than the commercially insured, with the exception of those aged 15 to 24 years. Our findings on healthcare utilization, comorbidities, and where individuals access services could inform interventions at the point of care prior to a first heroin overdose. Outpatient settings are of particular importance for the growing cohort of young, commercially insured patients with opioid use disorders.
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To evaluate how changes in generic drug prices and the incidence of abrupt price increases varied with the number of manufacturers supplying each drug. ⋯ Increases in generic drug prices are concerning because they affected widely used drugs and suggest that generic drug prices may be increasingly insensitive to competition.
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To illustrate methods using administrative data on patients with diabetes that can offer a foundation for using network analyses in managed care. ⋯ Network analyses reveal structures and links that health plans could leverage to strengthen quality improvement and disease management programs.
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We analyzed the demographics and disease characteristics of patients prescribed treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection from 2013 through 2017, a time frame that encompasses the expansion of available direct-acting antiviral inhibitors. ⋯ In the United States, since the introduction of interferon-free HCV regimens, the patient population prescribed treatment has changed, becoming predominantly treatment-naïve, without cirrhosis, and treated in nonacademic centers.