Implementing pharmacists' medication safety recommendations is associated with reduced health care resource utilization and mortality in high-risk older Americans.

Background: A medication safety review (MSR) is a novel, pharmacist-driven, technology-supported intervention that prioritizes adverse drug event risk mitigation. Previous research has shown that Medicare Part D beneficiaries who received MSRs in an enhanced medication therapy management (EMTM) model realized improvements in total Medicare spending, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and mortality compared to control. However, it is unknown whether beneficiaries implemented pharmacists' MSR recommendations.

Income-Related Inequality In Affordability And Access To Primary Care In Eleven High-Income Countries.

A high-performing health care system strives to achieve universal access, affordability, high-quality care, and equity, aiming to reduce inequality in outcomes and access. Using data from the 2020 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey, we report on health status, socioeconomic risk factors, affordability, and access to primary care among US adults compared with ten other high-income countries. We highlight health experiences among lower-income adults and compare income-related disparities between lower- and higher-income adults across countries.

Factors influencing the degradation of archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

The loss of antigenicity in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections negatively affects both diagnostic histopathology and advanced molecular studies. The mechanisms underlying antigenicity loss in FFPE tissues remain unclear. The authors hypothesize that water is a crucial contributor to protein degradation and decrement of immunoreactivity in FFPE tissues.

Characterizations and validations of novel antibodies toward translational research.

Purpose: There is significant need for well-characterized antibodies to the spectrum of human proteins encoded by the genome. Advances in tissue-based proteomic profiling have led to the discovery of many candidate molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets for which development of clinical assays is depending on high quality antibodies. We developed an antibody validation approach for screening of new mAbs.

Factors in tissue handling and processing that impact RNA obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue.

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is the most common specimen available for molecular assays on tissue after diagnostic histopathological examination. RNA from FFPE tissue suffers from strand breakage and cross-linking. Despite excellent extraction methods, RNA quality from FFPE material remains variable.

Cecal epiploic appendagitis: a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma.

Acute epiploic appendagitis (EA) is a rare and often misdiagnosed cause of acute abdominal pain. Though a benign and often self-limiting condition, EA's ability to mimic other disease processes makes it an important consideration in patients presenting with acute abdominal symptoms. Careful evaluation of abdominal CT scan findings is crucial in the accurate diagnosis of epiploic appendagitis, thus avoiding unnecessary surgical intervention.

Federal initiatives to support rapid learning about new technologies.

Health policy and financing reforms place increasing emphasis on the ability of doctors and patients to make informed, cost-conscious care decisions. The federal government is supporting new initiatives in Medicare to increase the supply of reliable information on the benefits and risks of health care technologies. Medicare also is working with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of prescription drugs and other items or services.

Medicare's coverage of colorectal cancer drugs: a case study in evidence development and policy.

Payers point to the lack of unbiased evidence for making coverage decisions for new and often costly technologies. This paper provides a case study of a new approach to developing information to meet the needs of a payer: Medicare's coverage with evidence development (CED) policy. Medicare's decision to condition coverage of cancer therapies on clinical trial participation is an early application of CED and signals Medicare's interest in developing evidence on new technologies for beneficiaries.

Restructuring Medicare: a synthesis of the NASI Medicare projects.

This Medicare brief highlights the findings and recommendations of the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) Medicare study panels. These reports grapple with the most important policy challenges facing Medicare and its future, including financing, delivery of health services, and the administration of Medicare. Although each study panel had a specific charge, unifying themes emerge.