Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
David Scheinker, Barak D. Richman, Arnold Milstein, Kevin A. Schulman
Summary: Excessive administrative costs in the US healthcare system have been identified as a rationale for comprehensive reform, but little is known about the origins of these costs. This study developed a simulation model to estimate how policy reforms could reduce billing and insurance-related costs at a national level. The findings suggest that while transitioning to a single-payer system can lower administrative costs, reforms to payer-provider contracts may also generate significant savings without completely overhauling the health care system.
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Husam Abdel-Qadir, Leo E. Akioyamen, Jiming Fang, Andrea Pang, Andrew C. T. Ha, Cynthia A. Jackevicius, David A. Alter, Peter C. Austin, Clare L. Atzema, R. Sacha Bhatia, Gillian L. Booth, Sharon Johnston, Irfan Dhalla, Moira K. Kapral, Harlan M. Krumholz, Candace D. McNaughton, Idan Roifman, Karen Tu, Jacob A. Udell, Harindra C. Wijeysundera, Dennis T. Ko, Michael J. Schull, Douglas S. Lee
Summary: Despite universal healthcare and prescription medication coverage in Canada, residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are less likely to visit cardiologists or receive treatment after atrial fibrillation diagnosis, even though they have a higher burden of cardiovascular disease and risk of adverse outcomes.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
James C. Robinson, Quentin Jarrion
Summary: France has a single-payer health insurance system that relies on decentralized market negotiations between hospitals and manufacturers to establish prices for biologics. Biosimilars are used to stimulate competition and drive price reductions, with biosimilar launches associated with reductions in prices for reference biologics and other related biologics.
Article
Acoustics
Daniel Rusiecki, Stuart L. Douglas, Colin Bell
Summary: The study found that the use of point-of-care ultrasound was not significantly associated with cost savings in the overall population, but did show significant savings in patients discharged home and those presenting with flank pain. Notably, there was no increase in adverse patient safety outcomes associated with point-of-care ultrasound.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Rebecca A. Spence, Leslie J. Hinyard, Reshma Jagsi, Rachel B. Jimenez, Ana Maria Lopez, Mariana Chavez-MacGregor, Kayte Spector-Bagdady, Abby R. Rosenberg
Summary: The decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization has revoked federal protection for abortion rights, allowing states to ban abortion without exceptions. This has had a significant impact on patient care in various medical fields, including oncology. However, ethical considerations for physicians remain unchanged, and ASCO provides guidance to help oncologists and institutions navigate these limitations while upholding their ethical duties. This paper establishes principles for cancer care and pregnancy, offers an ethical framework for oncologists caring for pregnant patients, and provides recommendations for individual and institutional action to support evidence-based and patient-centered care in the United States where abortion is illegal or restricted.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Abel F. Dadi, Tesfaye B. Mersha
Summary: This article discusses the considerations in boosting universal COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and emphasizes the need to reach the target of universal vaccination. The research also evaluates the COVID-19 vaccination status and previous history of COVID-19 diagnosis in California and New York.
Article
Economics
Senay Topal, Patrick Richard, John Young, Anuradha Ganesan, Todd Gleeson, Jason Blaylock, Jason F. Okulicz, Xiuping Chu, Brian K. Agan
Summary: In an attempt to improve military readiness, the US Air Force reduced the frequency of mandated HIV medical evaluation visits. This reduction did not affect preventive care, HIV therapy, or viral testing and suppression, indicating that easing the mandate can reduce healthcare utilization without adverse effects on patients.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniel C. Bryant
Summary: This study provides a template for evaluating the financial consequences for physicians of single-payer health care reform by quantifying the concern of reduced income. The calculations reveal that the hypothetical physician's Total Net Income would exceed that in the current multi-payer system in all five single-payer plans evaluated.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTH SERVICES
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Anthony M. Jimenez
Summary: This study explores how the Harris Health System in Houston, Texas legally affects low-income undocumented migrants' lives as they seek care. Through ethnographic and interview research, the author argues that the health care system exacerbates migrant vulnerability in particular ways by denying care based on legibility rather than legality, resulting in two classifications of illegality. Without substantive health reform, health practitioners play a role in shaping and normalizing immigrant health disparities.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Evelyne Guay, Erin Cordeiro, Amanda Roberts
Summary: This study evaluated the time and healthcare resource use for patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy at a regional cancer centre. The results showed that women require multiple hospital visits, primarily for diagnostic imaging, before initiating treatment. These findings highlight the importance of coordinating multidisciplinary care and diagnostic imaging to reduce hospital visits, improve patient experience, and reduce time to treatment.
JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Hassaan Abdel Khalik, Thomas J. J. Wood, Daniel M. M. Tushinski, Aaron Gazendam, Danielle T. T. Petruccelli, Kamal Bali, Mitchell Winemaker, Victoria Avram, Justin de Beer, Dale Williams, Laura Puri, Liz Piccirillo
Summary: The aim of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of antibiotic-laden bone cement (ALBC) in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from the perspective of a single-payer healthcare system. Through a cost-utility analysis, it was found that TKA with ALBC was more cost-effective compared to TKA with regular bone cement (RBC). The use of ALBC remained cost-effective even with a 50% increase in cost, but its cost-effectiveness declined if the rate of postoperative joint infection (PJI) increased or the rate of PJI following RBC use decreased.
KNEE SURGERY SPORTS TRAUMATOLOGY ARTHROSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Sociology
Walter Markowitz, Renee McLeod-Sordjan
Summary: The paper argues for a transformation of the American healthcare system to a single payer model, reflecting and emanating from commonly held values within the country's foundational religious teachings, morals, ethics, and democratic heritage. Current challenges in the healthcare system support the need for a shift towards a health insurance system based on national values to eliminate disparities in healthcare services and health outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN SOCIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Traber D. Giardina, Umber Shahid, Umair Mushtaq, Divvy K. Upadhyay, Abigail Marinez, Hardeep Singh
Summary: This study aims to identify challenges and pragmatic strategies for improving diagnostic safety at an organizational level. Interviews with 32 safety leaders in the USA revealed multiple barriers to implementing diagnostic safety activities, including concerns about psychological safety, lack of measurement infrastructure, lack of leadership investment, and lack of dedicated teams. Strategies to overcome these barriers include adapting trigger tools, engaging patients, and appointing dedicated champions. The study suggests that foundational building blocks related to learning health systems can inform efforts to reduce diagnostic error.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Jared M. Wohlgemut, George Ramsay, Dwayne Boyers, Jan O. Jansen
Summary: The study projected the future financial burden of EGS in Scotland, finding that between 2016 and 2041, the number of EGS admissions, cost per bed day, and overall cost will gradually increase. If no further reductions are made in length of stay or cost per bed day, especially for elderly patients, the cost of EGS is expected to rise dramatically.
Article
Surgery
Ishani D. Premaratne, Anjile An, Jason A. Spector
Summary: Most U.S. plastic and reconstructive surgeons do not support a single payer health care system, with private practice surgeons being even less inclined to support it, and academic surgeons potentially facing issues like considering leaving their practice.
JOURNAL OF PLASTIC RECONSTRUCTIVE AND AESTHETIC SURGERY
(2021)