News

A systematic search of the literature published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice demonstrated that angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used as monotherapy or in combination with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are not associated with a beneficial effect on mortality in patients with heart failure (HF).

A nested case-control analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine demonstrated an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients with recently diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treated with ipratropium.

Recent FDA action (through October 2008) related to vernakalant, doripenem, custirsen, droxidopa, amrubicin, dronedarone, and imatinib.

Eltrombopag is a TPO receptor agonist that is currently pending FDA approval for the treatment of ITP. This agent has been granted orphan drug and priority review status. In May 2008, the Oncology Drugs Advisory Committee unanimously agreed that eltrombopag demonstrates a favorable risk:benefit profile for the short-term treatment of chronic ITP.

New biologic: Romiplostim (Nplate), a thrombopoietin mimetic peptibody, was approved on August 22, 2008, for the treatment of chronic ITP.

New molecular entity: Tetrabenazine (Xenazine), a monoamine depleter, was approved on August 15, 2008, for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease.

This article reviews the role of individual therapeutic agents and combination therapies that can be used for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia.

If there was a way to accurately and consistently predict which patients were likely to use the emergency room in the upcoming year or incur a preventable chronic disease in the next 10 years, how would such a capability impact patient care?

A successful health information exchange (HIE) must be constructed in a manner that accounts for and serves the needs of each stakeholder group individually and allows all, to share in the benefit. As a result, the success of a community-based HIE is as much a feat of cooperation as it is one of organization.

Many brochures and ads issued by health plans to promote Medicare drug benefits to seniors fail to meet standards. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services seeks to stem the criticism by tightening up the rules governing such marketing plans.

A national approach to healthcare requires equal access, medical homes and quality and performance regulation.

Fraud, abuse and overpayment increases annual claims costs by up to 10% annually, but if addressed with a comprehensive fraud control program, could be money returned to the bottom line.

Stakeholders are all over the communications map trying to reach their audiences in the high-tech world where they live. Whether they're texting consumers, sending e-cards, creating video games or sharing information via social media, all are working to get the healthcare message out.

A recent study by the University of Connecticut indicates that the cost of low health literacy to the U.S. economy is as high as $238 billion annually. It's imperative that health plans and systems drive new efforts.

Evaluating the return on investment in disease management can be quite complicated, and survey results are suggestive rather than conclusive.

MHE's State of the Industry Survey findings show that 44.6% of those surveyed did not envision using or implementing any advanced technological innovations, such as online physician visits.

Organizations should realize the need for integrating structured IT information and unstructured information, experts say, since the amount of valuable unstructured information is growing exponentially.

The weak economy has hit the pocketbooks of health plans as reflected in their top two challenges for 2009: competing in the marketplace (27.7%) and enduring national economic lows (20.8%).

Chronic conditions, medical advances and consumerism are among the factors contributing to premium trends in 2009, experts say.

Commonwealth Fund State Performance Ranking (2007): 33

In the wake of the upcoming presidential election, experts say both candidates cater to the public by assuring that everything will change, but neither candidate has offered up meaningful dialogue about the most needed change of all - reducing costs.

Independent, nonprofit Blue plans are becoming extinct

Health plan executives are encouraged by the decline, noting that public and private stakeholders have had a hand in devising ways to improve the widespread problem of Americans lacking coverage

The ads were aired in a multimillion-dollar national advertising campaign run through the Democratic and Republican national conventions

The Comparative Effectiveness Research Act of 2008 would establish the Health Care Comparative Effectiveness Research Institute as a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental entity that would contract with government agencies and private research organizations to conduct systematic reviews, observational studies, and randomized controlled clinical trials to obtain evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness of therapies and treatments.

Primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT), the second most common treatment for localized prostate cancer following prostatectomy, is no more effective than conservative medical management for prolonging survival in most older patients with prostate cancer.

A retrospective cohort study published in the journal Stroke demonstrated an increased risk of stroke among users of rofecoxib and valdecoxib but not among users of other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

The purpose of this drug use evaluation was to report potentially inappropriate medication use, as defined by the full Beers criteria.