Real-world study on the characteristics, post-nephrectomy journey, and outcomes of patients with early-stage renal cell carcinoma based on risk groups.

Objectives: To examine real-world characteristics, journey, and outcomes among patients with locoregional, nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records from the ConcertAI Oncology Dataset was performed on adults in the United States with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic RCC between January 2012-December 2017 who received surgical treatment, and were followed until August 2021. Patients were stratified based on the risk of recurrence after nephrectomy.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in KEYNOTE-564: Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo for Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: In patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) enrolled in the phase III KEYNOTE-564 trial (NCT03142334), disease-free survival (DFS) following nephrectomy was prolonged with use of adjuvant pembrolizumab therapy versus placebo. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide an important measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and can complement efficacy and safety results.

Patients And Methods: In KEYNOTE-564, 994 patients were randomly assigned to receive pembrolizumab 200 mg (n = 496) or placebo (n = 498) intravenously every 3 weeks for ≤17 cycles.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Pembrolizumab as an Adjuvant Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma Post-nephrectomy in the United States.

Introduction: Pembrolizumab was recently approved as an adjuvant treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), based on prolonged disease-free survival compared to placebo in the phase III KEYNOTE-564 trial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab as monotherapy in the adjuvant treatment of RCC post-nephrectomy, from a US health sector perspective.

Patients And Methods: A Markov model with 4 health states (disease-free, locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and death) was developed to compare the cost and effectiveness of pembrolizumab versus routine surveillance or sunitinib.

Clinical and economic burdens of recurrence following nephrectomy for intermediate high- or high-risk renal cell carcinoma: A retrospective analysis of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is associated with a high risk of recurrence. Although RCC has been shown to impose a substantial burden on patients, little is known about the incremental clinical and economic burden attributable to disease recurrence. With recent advances in the RCC-therapeutic landscape, including adjuvant therapies, it is important to quantify the clinical and economic burden associated with RCC recurrence to better evaluate the potential impact of treatment in this patient population.

A Comparison of Home Health Utilization, Outcomes, and Cost Between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare.

Background: Home health use is rising rapidly in the United States as the population ages, the prevalence of chronic disease increases, and older Americans express their desire to age at home. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans rather than Traditional Medicare (TM) has grown as well, from 13% of total Medicare enrollment in 2004 to 39% in 2020. Despite these shifts, little is known about outcomes and costs following home health in MA as compared with TM.

Post-SNF outcomes and cost comparison: Medicare Advantage vs traditional Medicare.

Objectives: To compare outcomes and costs following skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge for patients within a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization vs traditional Medicare (TM).

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of adults with a postacute SNF admission identified from MA claims (MA cohort: n = 56,228) and the Medicare 5% Limited Data Sets (TM cohort: n = 67,859).

Methods: Outcomes included hospitalization, proportion of days at home, and total medical costs during the 180 days post SNF discharge, and successful community discharge.

Comparing Medical Utilization and Cost Outcomes in Oral Versus Injectable Immunotherapy Users with Chronic Inflammatory Joint and Skin Diseases.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis (PSO) are immune-mediated systemic, chronic inflammatory conditions. Moderate to severe disease is treated with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) such as methotrexate, sulfasalazine, or leflunomide. If a patient does not respond to these firstline treatments, then tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) or non-TNFi immunotherapy agents are administered via infusion, injection, or taken orally.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis among patients with a Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan; prevalence, survival and patient characteristics.

: To estimate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prevalence, 5-year survival, and explore factors associated with survival in a Medicare population. : A validated administrative claims algorithm was used to classify individual's ages 18-89 years at index date (first claim with a diagnosis of motor neuron disease or ALS between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011) with Medicare Advantage prescription drug coverage into mutually exclusive categories: ALS, no ALS, and possible ALS. Crude prevalence and cumulative survival from index date to the date of death, disenrollment or end of the study were calculated.

Depression treatment decreases healthcare expenditures among working age patients with comorbid conditions and type 2 diabetes mellitus along with newly-diagnosed depression.

Background: There are many studies in the literature on the association between depression treatment and health expenditures. However, there is a knowledge gap in examining this relationship taking into account coexisting chronic conditions among patients with diabetes. We aim to analyze the association between depression treatment and healthcare expenditures among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and newly-diagnosed depression, with consideration of coexisting chronic physical conditions.

A Real-World Observational Study of Time to Treatment Intensification Among Elderly Patients with Inadequately Controlled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: Among elderly patients, the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is complicated by population heterogeneity and elderly-specific complexities. Few studies have been done to understand treatment intensification among elderly patients failing multiple oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs).

Objective: To examine the association between time to treatment intensification of T2DM and elderly-specific patient complexities.

A real-world study of the effect of timing of insulin initiation on outcomes in older medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objectives: To compare clinical and economic outcomes of early insulin initiation with those of delayed initiation in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Humana Medicare Advantage health insurance plan.

Health Behaviors Among Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors.

Background: With improved treatments, the survival rate for breast cancer patients is increasing. With the improvements in quantity of life, research in the field of cancer survivorship has turned its attention to psychosocial functioning and health behaviors.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine how those currently under treatment and those completing treatment engaged in health behaviors (ie, diet, vitamin use, exercise, and cancer screening) and if psychosocial predictors, guided by the Self-regulation Model, also play a role.

Type of Multimorbidity and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Adults.

Objective. To examine the association between type of multimorbidity and CAM use among adults with multimorbidity. Methods.

Variations of depression treatment among women with hypertension.

The objective was to examine depression treatment among non-pregnant women, aged 22 and older, with hypertension, utilizing cross-sectional data from the 2006 and 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Depression treatment patterns by demographic, socioeconomic, health care access, and health characteristics were analyzed utilizing chi-square tests and logistic and multinomial logistic regressions. Overall, 23.

Depression and ambulatory care sensitive hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions.

Objective: We examined the association between depression and hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (H-ACSC) among Medicare beneficiaries with chronic physical conditions.

Methods: We used a retrospective longitudinal design using multiple years (2002-2009) of linked fee-for-service Medicare claims and survey data from Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to create six longitudinal panels. We followed individuals in each panel for a period of 3-years; first year served as the baseline and subsequent 2-years served as the follow-up.

Use of antidepressants and statins and short-term risk of new-onset diabetes among high risk adults.

Aims: We evaluated the association of combined use of antidepressants and statins and the risk of new-onset diabetes among high-risk adults.

Methods: We used a retrospective, observational, longitudinal design among adults (age ≥ 22 years) who were diabetes free at baseline and had reported hypertension or hyperlipidemia or heart disease. We used data were from 2004 to 2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and identified from self-reported diabetes or insulin use.

Excess risk of chronic physical conditions associated with depression and anxiety.

Background: Depression and anxiety have been reported to be associated with chronic physical conditions. We examined the excess risk of chronic physical conditions associated with depression and/or anxiety within a multivariate framework controlling for demographic and modifiable lifestyle risk factors.

Methods: We used a retrospective cross-sectional study design.

Antidepressant use and new-onset diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Antidepressant use has been linked to new-onset diabetes. However, the existing literature on this relationship has yielded inconsistent findings. The primary objective of this study was to systematically synthesize the literature on the relationship between antidepressant use and new-onset diabetes using meta-analysis.

Prevalence and predictors of anticholinergic agents in elderly outpatients with dementia.

Background: Anticholinergic medications, although frequently used in elderly populations, are associated with cognitive impairment and constitute significant concern for patients with dementia.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to examine patterns and predictors of prescribing anticholinergic agents for elderly outpatients with dementia.

Methods: We combined data from the 2006-2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the outpatient department component of National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to analyze patient visits by elderly persons (aged ≥65 years) with dementia.