The Role of Informal Social Support for Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery is underutilized as a treatment for metabolic disease and its associated comorbidities. While social support is known to play a crucial role in outcomes following bariatric surgery, little is known about the role of social support prior to surgery, which may impact preparedness for and willingness to undergo surgery. The study's objective was to examine the role of informal social support prior to bariatric surgery, the types of support received, and patient attitudes toward different demonstrations of support.

Deciding Whether to Take Sacubitril/Valsartan: How Cardiologists and Patients Discuss Out-of-Pocket Costs.

Background Out-of-pocket costs have significant implications for patients with heart failure and should ideally be incorporated into shared decision-making for clinical care. High out-of-pocket cost is one potential reason for the slow uptake of newer guideline-directed medical therapies for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. This study aims to characterize patient-cardiologist discussions involving out-of-pocket costs associated with sacubitril/valsartan during the early postapproval period.

How can healthcare organizations improve cost-of-care conversations? A qualitative exploration of clinicians' perspectives.

Objectives: Clinicians increasingly believe they should discuss costs with their patients. We aimed to learn what strategies clinicians, clinic leaders, and health systems can use to facilitate vital cost-of-care conversations.

Methods: We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with outpatient clinicians at two US academic medical centers.

Accuracy of Physician Estimates of Out-of-Pocket Costs for Medication Filling.

Importance: One-third of US residents have trouble paying their medical bills. They often turn to their physicians for help navigating health costs and insurance coverage.

Objective: To determine whether physicians can accurately estimate out-of-pocket expenses when they are given all of the necessary information about a drug's price and a patient's insurance plan.