The second ISPOR plenary session on Making Medical Decisions in an Irrational World was held this morning at the Society’s 21st Annual International Meeting in Washington, DC, USA.
ISPOR recognized its 2016 Awards Program recipients at the 21st Annual International Meeting in Washington, DC, USA. The ISPOR Awards Program is designed to foster and recognize excellence and outstanding technical achievement in health economics and outcomes research (HEOR).
ISPOR 21st Annual International Meeting Workshop 2—Risk-Sharing Agreements for Manufacturers and Commercial Payers in the United States: How Can Theory Help Practice? Design and Aligning Incentives Are Key—was held this afternoon in Washington, DC, USA.
ISPOR 21st Annual International Meeting Issue Panel 5—Use of Real-Word Evidence in Payer Decision Making: Fact or Fiction?—was held this morning in Washington, DC, USA.
Douglas C. Wallace, Ph.D., director of the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was inducted into the Italian Academy of Sciences during the Academy’s 234th annual meeting on May 5 in Rome. Past members of the Academy have included Einstein, Franklin, Pasteur, Volta, Fermi, and many other internationally renowned scientists.
ISPOR opened its 21st Annual International Meeting this morning with the first plenary session, Accelerating Cures: Addressing Unmet Patient Need or Putting Patients at Risk?, in Washington, DC, USA.
Adults with hypertension who are age 75 years and older, including those who are frail and with poor overall health, could benefit from lowering their blood pressure below current medical guidelines. The multi-institutional investigation was published online in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and presented at the American Geriatrics Society Annual Scientific Meeting on May 19. The findings could have broad health implications for older Americans, 75 percent of whom have high blood pressure.
Registration opens today for the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) 58th Annual Meeting, which will feature a record number of abstracts on radiation oncology clinical trials and research and keynote addresses from former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, the current CEO of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and a top safety executive from Delta Air Lines.
Chronic heart failure (CHF) patients with predominant central sleep apnea (CSA) are at higher risk for death and unplanned hospitalization than those who have both CSA and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), whether or not they receive adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy. These interim results from the ongoing FACE Multicentre National Cohort Study, a French prospective observational study, were presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
A new skin test for tuberculosis infection has proven safe, easy to administer and accurate in two Phase III clinical trials, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Transitions in care that occur when medical residents leave a clinical rotation and turn their patients’ care over to another resident is associated with increased mortality, according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Patients with obstructive lung disease who take inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) may be at greater risk for nontuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease (NTM PD), according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Currently, production of vaccines and diagnostic systems for infectious diseases have failed to provide a systematic vision that merges state-of-the-art technologies with industry to provide an effective commercial solution. Infectious and rapidly transmitted diseases, such as Ebola and influenza, should be a focus of interest for these prospects.
For the first time, researchers were able to demonstrate that children diagnosed with sickle cell disease showed improvement in lung function after treatment with hydroxyurea, a treatment that is underused despite its demonstrated benefits. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Children who had a diet that included cow’s milk products, egg and peanut before age one were less likely to develop sensitization to the corresponding foods, according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. Early introduction of eggs appeared to be especially beneficial, as it decreased the risk of sensitization to any of the three tested foods.
A new study has demonstrated a way to deliver a nanoparticle–based gene therapy, in order to repair lungs damaged by chronic allergic asthma and to reduce inflammation that causes asthma attacks. The potential therapy, tested in mice, may hold promise for asthma patients whose disease is not controlled by the most commonly used treatments. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Patients with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) develop more severe critical illness and have higher mortality than patients with non-MERS severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), according to investigators involved with the largest study of critically ill patients with MERS. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Adult patients who were admitted to U.S. intensive care units had higher mortality if they were extubated overnight. The results reported at the ATS 2016 International Conference may discourage hospital administrators from expanding the practice of overnight extubations in ICUs, which the lead author noted are rapidly being transformed to provide continuity of care.
Bioabsorbable heart valves or blood vessels are designed to harness the body’s innate healing process, enabling the natural restoration of complex body parts as the synthetic graft is absorbed. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, surgeons from the Bakoulev Center for Cardiovascular Surgery, Moscow report the results of implantation of bioabsorbable vascular grafts placed into five children born with serious cardiovascular anomalies. According to the investigators, this is the first-ever clinical trial of a bioabsorbable cardiovascular device.
A streamlined approach to tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis requiring a single sputum sample and providing rapid, accurate results to patients proved feasible in rural Uganda, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Looking ahead to 2035, a growing disparity is projected between the number of cardiothoracic surgeons needed and the number available. In a presentation at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, researchers cite such trends as fewer trainees in surgery residency programs, more exam failures, and fewer American Board of Thoracic Surgery certifications at a time when an aging population will require more cardiothoracic surgical services. They estimate that cardiothoracic surgeons would have to increase their caseload by 121% to meet demand, something that is not feasible.
Little is known about mitral valve (MV) surgical outcomes within the largest US federal health system – the Veterans Administration (VA) Health System. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, data presented from 40 VA cardiac surgery centers reveal that although MV repair rates increased from 48% in 2001 to 63% in 2013, a wide variability exists in repair rates among medical centers. This is especially important because MV repair mortality rates were significantly lower in patients with primary degenerative disease.
A team of surgeons in Japan has developed a technique to relieve airway obstruction in children. The technique, known as external stenting (ES), expands and stabilizes the airway by suspending its wall to a rigid prosthesis placed around the bronchus or trachea. ES avoids the problem of granulation formation resulting from endolumenal corrective approaches, such as endoscopic stent placement. In a presentation at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, the researchers describe the ES technique in detail as well as report on indications, complications, and long-term outcomes.
In an ongoing prospective study involving 1,311 patients from five nations, researchers found that untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with increased risk of a Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Event (MACCE) -- cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (heart attack), non-fatal stroke, and unplanned revascularization such as heart bypass surgery and angioplasty. The new research, from the Sleep and Stent Study, was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Being fit may reduce the decline in lung function that occurs as we grow older, according to research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Additional support by palliative care specialists failed to improve anxiety and depression symptoms in caregivers of patients with chronic critical illness, according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. Patients also saw little benefit as the additional support did not lead to reduced time on a breathing machine or in the hospital.
Sleep assessments in young children showed that, in the context of habitual snoring and enlarged tonsils and adenoids, moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea increased the likelihood and magnitude of cognitive deficits. These deficits include, but are not limited to, problems with attention, memory and language. The research results were presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exacerbations accelerated lung function loss, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. The effect was particularly prominent in those with mild disease.
Untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with increased aggressiveness of malignant cutaneous melanoma, according to the first multicenter prospective study on the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing (apnea or hypopnea) and cancer. The new study, which involved researchers from 24 teaching hospitals that are part of the Spanish Sleep and Breathing Network, was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
For children with severe heart failure, the only available means of life support are ventricular assist devices (VADs) placed outside the body. These devices are associated with significant risks and the need for hospital management. In conjunction with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, investigators have now developed a miniaturized implantable VAD for small children (the Infant Jarvik 2015). The results of testing the device in live sheep are presented at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting.
Up to 50% of patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) develop lung metastases. Effective systemic therapies for metastatic STS are currently limited; when possible, surgical removal of the lung metastases (known as pulmonary metastasectomy, PM) is the preferred treatment. However, guidelines for the performance of PM for STS do not exist and decisions to operate are often made on an individual basis. In a presentation at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center share the results of their experience with more than 500 patients with pulmonary metastases from STS and describe prognostic factors associated with improved survival.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) have identified risk factors for unplanned readmissions following esophageal resection. The results of their new study provide complete follow-up data for all patients undergoing esophagectomy at a high volume center over a one-year period in order to identify risk factors associated with unplanned readmissions. Karen J. Dickinson, MD, presents the results of this research at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting on behalf of the Thoracic Surgery Research Team at Mayo Clinic.
National trends in opioid related overdoses are being felt across every part of the medical system, including the country’s intensive care units. ICU admissions related to opioid overdoses are steadily increasing, and opioid overdose-related ICU deaths have nearly doubled since 2009. New research from Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, University of Chicago, and Vizient, Inc., presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference shows the strain America’s opioid crisis is putting on ICUs and the critical care teams who care for these patients and calls attention to efforts needed to meet the demands of this expanding population.
A new study investigating the health impact of the chemical components of air pollution is reporting that two metals, nickel and vanadium (Ni and V), may be damaging to the developing lungs of children. The results were presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
The TRANSFORM trial was designed to evaluate the safety and performance of an investigational rapid deployment aortic valve replacement (RDAVR) system for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Presented at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, investigators showed that more than 96% of TRANSFORM patients had survived after one year and only 0.2% required reoperation. Cardiac function improved in 73%. Compared to conventional treatment, this procedure required significantly less cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times, even when smaller incisions were used.
Analysis of data from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) demonstrates that the survival rates of patients with Stage IIIA NSCLC who underwent surgery increased more than three-fold for those who received four quality measures as part of their care. The study, presented by Pamela Samson MD, MPHS, of Washington University in St. Louis at the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, also shows a wide variability in compliance with quality measures, with only 12.8% of almost 8,000 eligible patients having received all four interventions. The study highlights the importance of implementing these recommended steps into actual practice.
During heart surgery, it is sometimes necessary to temporarily stop cardiac activity, a process known as cardioplegia. Specific myocardial protection techniques are necessary for pediatric use. At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, cardiac surgeons present the results of a prospective, randomized trial of pediatric heart surgery patients that shows that the del Nido cardioplegia solution, a new, long-acting agent, offers significant advantages over conventional cardioplegia, including reduced cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times and faster onset of action.
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) occurs when the heart’s tricuspid valve leaks, allowing blood to flow back from the right ventricle to the right atrium. TR can be secondary to disorders of left-sided heart valves (mitral or aortic). At the 96th AATS Annual Meeting, investigators present the results of a long-term study of patients who underwent mitral valve (MV) repair. They found that although newly developed TR after MV repair was rare, the risk could increase in older patients with atrial fibrillation and impaired heart function.
ISPOR announced confirmation of key scientific sessions for its 21st Annual International Meeting starting next week, May 21-25, 2016 in Washington, DC, USA. The meeting will feature three, timely Plenary Sessions centered on the theme, “Value, Affordability, and Patient Centeredness: Can We Have It All?”.
Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation may be equally effective in improving fitness and quality of life as a traditional center-based program for COPD patients, according to new research presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
New research has found that a process initiated in white blood cells known as neutrophils may lead to worse outcomes for some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The discovery may help identify patients at higher risk for COPD progression, who might also show little benefit from standard treatments. The study was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
The American Thoracic Society and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) today announced the results of a survey of pulmonologists and pulmonology fellows to determine physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management, with particular attention to the use of hand-held small volume nebulizers. A small volume nebulizer is a device powered by air that aerosolizes medications for delivery to patients.
New research uncovering a link between Interstitial Lung Abnormalities (ILA) and an increased risk of in-hospital mortality was shared at the ATS 2016 International Conference.
Nearly half (48%) of patients with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma in The Epidemiology and Natural History of Asthma: Outcomes and Treatment Regimens follow-up study (TENOR II) still had very poorly controlled (VPC) symptoms after more than a decade of treatment, according to a new study presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference. The risk of persistent VPC asthma was associated with specific demographic and clinical factors.
Motivational interviewing, a goal-oriented, client-centered counseling style for eliciting behavior change used in health coaching, is a feasible intervention that may reduce short-term readmissions for COPD patients. The study, which was presented at the ATS 2016 International Conference, is the first available randomized study to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention.
Text messaging could hold the key to identifying postpartum women at-risk for developing potentially life-threatening complications resulting from preeclampsia, according to a new study from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The results are presented on Monday, May 16 at the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology’s (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC (poster #30-O).