Articles Archive - Page 565 of 808

CareFirst Sees More Than Doubled Savings on Shared Rewards with Doctors

Susan Kelly | July 31, 2015

(Reuters)—Insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield said on Thursday its cost savings on providing healthcare rose sharply last year in a program that rewards doctors for keeping patients out of the hospital. The non-profit health insurer operates an approach to delivering care that emphasizes coordination among providers, led by a patient’s primary care physician. The model is…

Skin Complications of Anti-TNF Therapy Common in IBD

Reuters Staff | July 31, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Dermatologic complications hit about one in five patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy, leading to discontinuation of treatment, a French study finds. Dr. Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, from University Hospital of Nancy, and colleagues note that dermatological complications of anti-TNF therapy are known to occur frequently in IBD…

Maintaining Board Certification Has High Hidden Cost

Will Boggs, MD | July 30, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) maintenance-of-certification (MOC) program could cost $5.7 billion in physicians’ time and fees over the next decade, according to a new model study. “We estimate that physicians will spend 33 million hours over 10 years to fulfill MOC requirements,” Dr. Dhruv S. Kazi from the University…

Adalimumab Remains Safe, Effective for Psoriasis

Scott Baltic | July 30, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In adults with chronic plaque psoriasis, adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) was generally well tolerated and effective during five years of therapy, according to a new analysis. The interim analysis is from ESPRIT, a 10-year multinational post-marketing registry. “Clinical trials are not the real world,” in part because patients with comorbidities are screened out…

U.S. Predicts 5.8% Average Rise in Healthcare Spending Through 2024

Caroline Humer | July 30, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government expects healthcare spending to increase by 5.8% annually on average from 2014 through 2024 as more Americans gain insurance coverage and the improved economy drives patients to visit doctors and hospitals. The aging population’s higher healthcare costs will also push health spending higher starting in 2019, according to a study…

Healthcare Improving for Older Americans

Andrew M. Seaman | July 29, 2015

(Reuters Health)—The number of deaths, hospital stays and healthcare costs decreased among older Americans on Medicare over the past 15 years, according to a new study. “Although our health care system has its failings, we are making remarkable progress,” said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, the study’s lead author from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. “People…

Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis Linked with Arrhythmia

Laura Newman | July 29, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Psoriasis is linked to a higher risk for arrhythmia, independent of classic cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, according to a study from Taiwan. “In my practice, arrhythmia as comorbidity is discussed during patient consultation along with other comorbidities,” said senior author Dr. Tsen-Fang Tsai of the Department of Dermatology at National Taiwan University…

FDA Issues Stronger NSAIDs Warning

Michele B. Kaufman, PharmD, BCGP | July 29, 2015

The FDA revised its warning and labeling recommendations for antiinflammatory drugs because of a greater understanding of the increased risks they pose for stroke and myocardial infarction…

Some Placebos More Effective Than Others in Osteoarthritis

Will Boggs, MD | July 28, 2015

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Some placebos are more effective than others, and these differences can influence the apparent outcomes of clinical trials, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of osteoarthritis trials. “More surprising than the fact that all placebos are not equal is the magnitude of that difference,” Dr. Raveendhara R. Bannuru, from Tufts Medical…