Latest News — Page 80

The Importance of Documenting Side Effects The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is advocating for the usage of the MedSafety app as a means of bolstering efforts to ensure the integrity of medicinal products. #MedSafetyWeek is a global campaign that aims to improve the safety of medications all around the world, and this project is a component of that campaign. The campaign, involving more than 80 regulatory agencies, is a testament to the collective effort to better the […]

The Rising Challenge of Hypertension Hypertension management, a significant risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney diseases, is a leading cause of preventable death and disability globally. With more than 100 million people affected in the US alone, the healthcare costs associated with hypertension surpassed $130 billion between 2003 and 2014. Despite the availability of affordable medications and lifestyle interventions, blood pressure control rates continue to decline. Pharmacist Interventions: A New Approach to Hypertension Management Recent research suggests an innovative solution: […]

Understanding the Importance and Scope of HEOR in Today’s Healthcare Landscape The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is a global non-profit organisation. It promotes the use of health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) in medical care decision-making. Recently, CEO Rob Abbott discussed the organisation’s objective, the importance of HEOR, and the future of healthcare.  ISPOR’s membership is comprised of individuals from academia, industry, patient groups, and payers. These individuals come from 110 different countries. This organisation’s […]

Understanding Respiratory Tract Infections (RTIs) RTIs are some of the most common illnesses, causing a significant number of outbreaks annually. Viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are often the culprits. These RTIs lead to a surge in hospital admissions during winter months, and their symptoms can be very similar, making it challenging to differentiate between them. Multiplex Antigen Near-Patient Tests Laboratories typically conduct the gold standard for these tests, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). On […]

A Groundbreaking Study A recent Nordic research study has shed light on the potential increased risk of stillbirth among pregnant women infected with COVID-19. This comprehensive study, the largest of its kind, analysed data from 389,949 births across Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The findings revealed a 2.4 times higher risk of stillbirth among women who contracted COVID-19 during pregnancy. Understanding the Risks While stillbirth remains a rare occurrence, the study found that the absolute risk was 2.3 per 100,000 follow-up […]

A Landmark Achievement in Healthcare The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has declared Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a component of the M42 network, as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Adult Cardiac Surgery (ACS). This significant announcement is a testament to Abu Dhabi’s commitment to delivering world-class healthcare services to its community and reinforces its standing as a leading healthcare destination. Centre of Excellence for Adult Cardiac Surgery: A New Standard in Cardiac Care As an ACS CoE, […]

Unveiling the Potential of Healthcare Innovation Centres A growing trend in US healthcare systems, innovation centres are creating waves in the sector. These centres, which prioritise the quick creation, operationalisation, and assessment of novel innovations—many of which are digital—are transforming the healthcare industry. They are usually developed in response to issues that healthcare systems encounter, with a shared emphasis on problem-solving and real-time healthcare delivery. These centres focus on three main areas: rapidly testing, assessing, and scaling domestic initiatives; disseminating […]

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) have emerged as a pivotal tool in healthcare. Healthcare settings have applied PROMs in numerous instances since the advent of Value-Based Care (VBC), gaining valuable insights into patients’ perceptions of their health and treatment outcomes.   PROMs in VBC According to the FDA, PROMs are “reports coming directly from patients about how they feel or function in relation to a health condition and its therapy, without interpretation by healthcare professionals or anyone else.” Essentially, the definition […]

Navigating the FDA and CMS Policy Alignment Two of the most important pillars supporting the healthcare sector are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The FDA is in charge of ensuring that medical devices are both safe and effective. The coverage and benefits that are provided to CMS’s beneficiaries are decided by CMS. Because of the different legislative authorities held by these two agencies, the regulatory environment […]

In the realm of healthcare, the concept of value-based care (VBC) is not new. Introduced by Michael Porter, VBC emphasises the importance of generating positive outcomes per unit of currency spent. Today, VBC is a driving force behind efforts to improve clinical outcomes while reducing costs. Central to this strategy is care management. This is designed to support selected patients via multidisciplinary teams to improve health-related outcomes. The Role of Care Management in Value-Based Care Care management programmes aim to […]

PhRMA’s Social Determinants of Health Let’s look into an insightful article by Kristin Williams, published on October 27, 2023. The piece shines a light on the structural barriers patients encounter when trying to access and afford medicines. Community-level factors strongly impact healthcare access, the research shows. Nearly 40% of US counties are pharmacy deserts! These shocking numbers highlight the difficulties many encounter in accessing drugs. The article then discusses PhRMA’s Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) simulation. This novel application lets […]

Understanding the Growing Concern Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs) are life-saving marvels of modern medicine. However, with over 300,000 patients receiving a new CIED implantation annually in the US alone, there has been a simultaneous surge in device infections. These infections can lead to substantial morbidity, with infected patients facing over 3-fold higher mortality compared to those without infections. Moreover, the financial burden on the healthcare system is significant. The Significance of Prompt Intervention The efficacy of antibiotics as a […]

Healthcare has been on a transformative journey over the years.  Its focus has shifted from the traditional fee-for-service models to more patient-centered approaches. Michael Porter’s value based care approach has gained significant attention as it speaks to improved efficiencies. Essentially, the essence of value-based care lies in the delivery of services that improve health outcomes for patients at the lowest possible cost. Value-based care is crucial as it aligns healthcare providers’ incentives with patient outcomes. Instead of rewarding providers for […]

The Role of Transparency in Coverage Data In the realm of healthcare, the importance of transparency cannot be overstated. A recent study by Benjamin L. Chartock, PhD; Kosali Simon, PhD; Christopher M. Whaley, PhD, has shed light on how transparency in coverage (TiC) data can significantly influence prices for common healthcare services. The researchers examined TiC price data from Humana, a major national insurer in the USA, highlighting the potential uses of such data for future research. Unravelling Price Variation […]

Understanding ACO REACH and its Impact Launched in January 2023, Accountable Care Organisation Realising Equity, Access, and Community Health (ACO REACH), initiated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has taken a strategic leap towards equity in healthcare. The model is designed to promote health equity through payment model design, data collection on social drivers of health, and financial incentives linked to equity. A key feature of ACO REACH is the Health Equity Benchmark Adjustment (HEBA). This adjustment […]

The Current Opioid Crisis and the Treatment of Post-Caesarean Pain Systemic opioids are the medication that is utilised the most frequently, despite the fact that pain management following a caesarean delivery is a complicated issue. Having said that, this method is not without its flaws. The overprescription of opioids is a key cause, and it is estimated that 1.2 million of the caesarean births performed annually in the United States result in the disposal of 12 million unneeded tablets. There […]