Health/Disease Strategy

Adding to the complexity is the emerging science of smart medicine, that is, the delivery of effective care based on personal attributes of the patient

The biggest challenge health insurers face each year is convincing members to get their flu shots.

As the focus of managed care strategy includes implementing preventative initiatives, it is critical not to overlook vaccines.

A number of different diets are effective in producing some degree of weight loss; the significant issue is how to maintain weight loss over time.

Mississippi consistently ranks low in health measures.

Embedded care managers increasingly are becoming members of clinical teams in physician offices.

As the total ranks of the insured grow by upwards of 35 million people in the coming years, plans will face the burden of vastly increased administrative tasks.

Advocates for shared decision making say that patients have neither the information nor the opportunities necessary to participate fully in clinical decisions.

The promise of advanced diagnostics must be supported with infrastructure to have the greatest chance of success.

FDA has approved the first drug to help prevent premature birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy in women who have had at least one previous preterm delivery.

Sometimes supply drives demand. That's one of the often cited conclusions reached by the Dartmouth Atlas Project focusing on supply-sensitive care.

Nursing home care can be delayed with community services

As the healthcare industry pumps up its use of technology, digital health coaching is catching on.

National attention has been focused on childhood immunization in light of a California pertussis epidemic, but adults who could unwittingly transmit infectious diseases remain largely unvaccinated.

The cost of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in terms of medical bills and lost productivity totals $50 billion a year, making it a condition payers can't afford to ignore.

The federal government is out to change the nature of healthcare from reactive to proactive

The theory behind the model is that care can best be provided by a team of clinicians

Navigating legal issues to create the best possible program sometimes requires a delicate balancing act by plan sponsors

Because members are becoming more cognizant of their out-of-pocket expenses, many are turning to complementary and alternative medicine therapies as a less-expensive alternative

Neuropathic pain presents a difficult challenge. When the peripheral or central nervous system isn't functioning correctly, it can lead to pain that continues for months or years.

Stronger opioids such as morphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, methadone, levorphanol, fentanyl and oxycodone are generally used for treatment of moderate to severe pain.

Employers are expressing frustration at lack of participation in wellness programs. This is in light of the fact that there was an increase in the number of such programs offered from 2008 to 2010.

Behavior modification is universally regarded as the best option to fight obesity, but plans can't do it alone.

Savings could reach more than $1 trillion over a period of 10 years if 25% of individuals participate in risk reduction and prevention programs.

Approximately 75 million Americans have two or more chronic conditions, Often the sickest members of a population, they experience a serious disconnect.

How can plans know they're getting the most value for their money in disease management and wellness programs?

People over the age of 80 is the fastest-growing population sement in the United States, and they are also the most susceptible to falling through the cracks in the healthcare system.

As healthcare moves from a broader clinical mentality to more personalized, tailor medicine, pharmacogenomics is emerging as a best-practice therapy.

About half of healthcare institutions in the United States provide art therapy services, with positive results.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking.