Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Matthew E. Growdon, Siqi Gan, Kristine Yaffe, Alexandra K. Lee, Timothy S. Anderson, Ulrike Muench, W. John Boscardin, Michael A. Steinman
Summary: This study found that the incidence of new psychotropic medication use among hospitalized dementia patients after discharge is relatively low, but a substantial proportion of new users continue to use these medications in the long term.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Loren J. Schleiden, Susan L. Zickmund, Katie Lynn Roman, Kayla Kennedy, Joshua M. Thorpe, Michelle Rossi, Joshua D. Niznik, Sydney P. Springer, Carolyn T. Thorpe
Summary: The study found that dual VA/Part D medication use has cost and convenience benefits for caregivers and providers, but also brings issues like poor communication and difficulty managing medications from multiple systems. Providers also mentioned potential safety risks such as communication barriers, conflicting care decisions, and drug interactions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH-SYSTEM PHARMACY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Stacie B. Dusetzina
Summary: Relief may be in sight for Medicare Part D beneficiaries as the program is expected to be redesigned as part of the fiscal year 2022 budget reconciliation.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Adrienne H. Sabety, Tisamarie B. Sherry, Nicole Maestas
Summary: The introduction of Medicare Part D did not lead to increased opioid use among older adults, but rather the high levels of opioid use among commercially insured adults who aged into Medicare had a greater impact. Therefore, more judicious prescribing to younger adults and efforts to deprescribe opioids when appropriate may prevent problematic opioid use among the elderly.
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Peyton Armstrong, Yong-Fang Kuo, Peter Cram, Jordan Westra, Mukaila A. A. Raji
Summary: Osteoporotic fractures are a leading cause of disability and premature death in the elderly. Patients with Alzheimer's and related dementia (ADRD) have high rates of osteoporosis (OP) and substantial risk of osteoporotic fractures. Yet research is sparse on trends and predictors of OP medication use in ADRD.
OSTEOPOROSIS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Khrysta Baig, Stacie B. Dusetzina, David D. Kim, Ashley A. Leech
Summary: Medicare may soon have to cover antiobesity medications, leading to a greater need to address effectiveness and cost concerns among its beneficiaries.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
So-Yeon Kang, Daniel Polsky, Jodi B. Segal, Gerard F. Anderson
Summary: The proliferation of ultra-expensive drugs led to a significant increase in annual spending on these drugs by Medicare Part D, largely due to the rise in the number of beneficiaries receiving them from 2012 to 2018.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Xiaobei Dong, Chi Chun Steve Tsang, Shirong Zhao, Jamie A. Browning, Jim Y. Wan, Marie A. Chisholm-Burns, Christopher K. Finch, Jack W. Tsao, Lisa E. Hines, Junling Wang
Summary: Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR) was found to reduce nonadherence to diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia medications among older Medicare beneficiaries with Alzheimer's disease, potentially reducing nonadherence by 38% to 50% compared to the comparison group without intervention.
CURRENT MEDICAL RESEARCH AND OPINION
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Natalia Olchanski, Allan T. Daly, Yingying Zhu, Rachel Breslau, Joshua T. Cohen, Peter J. Neumann, Jessica D. Faul, Howard M. Fillit, Karen M. Freund, Pei-Jung Lin
Summary: This study examined racial and ethnic differences in medication use among a representative US population of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). The results showed that non-Hispanic Blacks were more likely to be non-adherent to ADRD medication therapy compared to Whites. The study emphasizes the importance of considering socioeconomic characteristics and disease severity when studying medication use and adherence in ADRD patients.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Shari Rogal, Ada Youk, Olufunso Agbalajobi, Hongwei Zhang, Walid Gellad, Michael J. Fine, Pamela Belperio, Timothy Morgan, Chester B. Good, Kevin Kraemer
Summary: Few Veterans with active OUD and cirrhosis received MOUD, and those with alcohol use disorder, schizophrenia, and previous prescriptions for opioids were least likely to receive these effective therapies.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mariana P. Socal, Ge Bai, Gerard F. Anderson
Summary: A study using Medicare Part D data found that prescribers and patients requested branded products for 30.4% of multisource drugs, leading to an additional annual cost of $1.67 billion to the Medicare program and $270 million to patients. Measures should be considered to discourage prescribers and patients from requesting branded products to reduce costs.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rebecca L. Tisdale, Iris Ma, Daniel Vail, Jay Bhattacharya, Jeremy D. Goldhaber-Fiebert, Paul A. Heidenreich, Alexander T. Sandhu
Summary: This study assessed the availability and quality of cost-effectiveness studies for the top 250 prescription drugs with the greatest Medicare Part D spending in 2016. A significant proportion of these drugs lacked or had low-quality cost-effectiveness analyses, which could pose challenges in developing effective policies to address drug spending issues in terms of value.
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Erin Trish, Katrina Kaiser, Geoffrey Joyce
Summary: This study aims to analyze the association between efforts to limit out-of-pocket spending for enrollees in nonsubsidized Medicare Part D plans and insulin adherence rates among these patients.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Huseyin Naci, Ilias Kyriopoulos, William B. Feldman, Thomas J. Hwang, Aaron S. Kesselheim, Amitabh Chandra
Summary: Newly approved drugs are often subject to formulary exclusions and restrictions in Medicare Part D. Ensuring that formulary design is closely linked to the therapeutic value of drugs would improve patients' welfare.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Adam de Havenon, Alen Delic, Sarah Dehoney, Presley Whetman, Nazanin Sheibani, Brian Callaghan, John Ney, Gregory J. Esper, Brandon Magliocco, Kavita Nair
Summary: Payments for neurologist-prescribed brand name drugs in Medicare Part D increased consistently and well above inflation from 2013 to 2017, while payments for generic drugs remained relatively stable. This trend may lead to an increasing burden on the neurologic Medicare budget unless high cost-to-claim drugs are addressed or the trend is reversed.
Article
Gerontology
Emmanuelle Belanger, Jessica D'Silva, Michaela S. Carroll, Courtney H. Van Houtven, Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Valerie A. Smith, Terrie T. Wetle
Summary: This study explored the reactions of care partners to amyloid PET scan results and found that care partners reported relief and gratitude when scan results aligned with their expectations. However, care partners of individuals with mild cognitive impairment had higher odds of anxiety after receiving elevated amyloid PET scan results.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Katherine E. M. Miller, Courtney H. Van Houtven, Erin E. Kent, Donna Gilleskie, G. Mark Holmes, Valerie A. Smith, Sally C. Stearns
Summary: This study examined the impact of the Veterans Health Administration's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers on caregiver health and healthcare utilization. The results showed that the implementation of the program was associated with increased health diagnoses and service utilization among caregivers.
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Gerontology
Nina R. Sperber, Nathan Boucher, Jaime M. Hughes, Rebecca Bruening, Leah L. Zullig, Kasey Decosimo, Matthew Tucker, Leah A. Christensen, Kelli D. Allen, Susan N. Hastings, Courtney H. Van Houtven
Summary: This study investigated the effectiveness of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Caregiver Support Program. The results showed that the majority of caregivers were satisfied with the training. However, individual interviews revealed variations in the needs and acceptance of the training among different caregivers. Therefore, it is important to consider the specific timing and target audience when implementing caregiver training programs.
Editorial Material
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Joshua D. D. Niznik, Natalie C. C. Ernecoff, Carolyn T. T. Thorpe, Susan L. L. Mitchell, Laura C. C. Hanson
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Gerontology
Emily Franzosa, Kimberly M. Judon, Eve M. Gottesman, Nicholas S. Koufacos, Tessa Runels, Matthew Augustine, Courtney H. Van Houtven, Kenneth S. Boockvar
Summary: Effective coordination and communication between medical and long-term services are crucial for high-quality primary care for older adults. However, there are challenges in establishing services, reactive communication between medical teams and agencies, lack of formal communication channels, and limited information exchange between aides and medical teams. Removing communication barriers, incentivizing reporting and information sharing, and integrating aides into interdisciplinary teams may enhance coordination of medical and long-term care.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED GERONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Susan N. Hastings, Karen M. Stechuchak, Ashley Choate, Courtney Harold Van Houtven, Kelli D. Allen, Virginia Wang, Cathleen Colon-Emeric, George L. Jackson, Teresa M. Damush, Cassie Meyer, Caitlin B. Kappler, Helen Hoenig, Nina Sperber, Cynthia J. Coffman
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of a supervised walking program called STRIDE on discharge to a skilled-nursing facility, length of stay, and inpatient falls. The study found that during the STRIDE implementation period, patients had lower odds of discharge to a skilled-nursing facility, with no change in length of stay or inpatient falls.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Abigail Shapiro, Karen M. Stechuchak, Kate L. Sheahan, Princess E. Ackland, Valerie A. Smith, Barbara G. Bokhour, Shirley M. Glynn, Patrick S. Calhoun, David Edelman, Hollis J. Weidenbacher, Madeleine R. Eldridge, Courtney H. Van Houtven
Summary: This study investigates the factors influencing engagement in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapy from the perspectives of veterans and their family members. Despite efforts to increase access to mental health care, the proportion of veterans seeking PTSD therapy remains low. Support from family members and friends could potentially enhance therapy engagement for veterans.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Joshua D. Niznik, Tamera Hughes, Lori T. Armistead, Jayanth Kashyap, Jessica Roller, Jan Busby-Whitehead, Stefanie P. Ferreri
Summary: This study analyzed the prescribing patterns of opioids and benzodiazepines for older adults, revealing disparities by race and sex and patterns of co-prescribing. The results showed that chronic opioid and benzodiazepine users were less likely to be Black or of other non-White race, but more likely to be women. The co-prescribing was driven by co-morbid conditions rather than demographic characteristics.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Samuel W. Terman, Joshua D. Niznik, Matthew E. Growdon, Lauren B. Gerlach, James F. Burke
Summary: The study found a year-on-year increase in CNS-active polypharmacy among US adults, especially in older individuals. Various classes of CNS-active medications also saw an increase in older adults. The rising trend in medication use underscores the need for further investigation into potential inappropriate prescribing factors, particularly for the elderly population.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Paul A. Dennis, Karen M. Stechuchak, Courtney H. Van Houtven, Kasey Decosimo, Cynthia J. Coffman, Janet M. Grubber, Jennifer H. Lindquist, Nina R. Sperber, S. Nicole Hastings, Megan Shepherd-Banigan, Brystana G. Kaufman, Valerie A. Smith
Summary: This study aims to explore the correlation between home time and quality of life by evaluating short- and long-term measures of health care utilization in the emergency department, inpatient care, and rehabilitation in a post-acute care facility. The results show that post-acute care utilization is the most significant predictor of decreased quality of life in the short term, while there is no predominant setting in the long term. These findings provide guidance on measuring home time using multipayer administrative data.
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Joshua Niznik, Cathleen Colon-Emeric, Carolyn T. Thorpe, Casey J. Kelley, Meredith Gilliam, Jennifer L. Lund, Laura C. Hanson
Summary: This study aimed to identify factors that influence prescriber decision-making for deprescribing of bisphosphonates for older nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. The study found that patient-level (intrapersonal) and external (interpersonal, system, community, and policy) influences are key factors in prescriber decision-making. While prescribers generally agreed on the reasons for deprescribing, barriers at the interpersonal and system levels limited implementation. Additionally, the lack of guidelines and criteria for deprescribing, including certainty regarding prior fractures and the absence of bone densitometry in NHs, posed challenges at the policy level.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Laura C. Hanson, Kathryn Wessell, Natalie Meeks, Antonia V. Bennett, Mark Toles, Josh Niznik, Sheryl Zimmerman, Joan Carpenter, Christine S. Ritchie, Natalie C. Ernecoff, Debra Saliba
Summary: This study describes the development and structure of the IMbedded Pragmatic ADRD Clinical Trials Collaboratory (IMPACT) iLibrary of potential outcome measures for ADRD pragmatic trials and evaluates their pragmatic characteristics. The study found that pragmatic outcome measures are brief, meaningful to diverse populations, easily scored and interpreted by clinicians, and available in electronic format for analysis. The iLibrary can aid in the selection of measures for a wide range of outcomes relevant to people with ADRD and their care partners.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Allison Musty, Jennifer L. Lund, Yang Claire Yang, Joshua Niznik, Shahar Shmuel, Emilie D. Duchesneau
Summary: This study found that older adults with lower wealth are more likely to use sleep medication frequently. This may lead to increased dependency or an increased risk of falls in this vulnerable population.
PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Nilesh Raut, Joan Costa-Font, Courtney van-Houtven
Summary: Health insurance expansions, specifically the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, have been found to reduce depressive symptoms among spousal caregivers, leading to a decrease in feelings of depression and an increase in feelings of happiness. This study utilized longitudinal evidence from the Health and Retirement Study and applied event study and Difference-in-Differences design to examine the policy impact of ACA Medicaid on the mental wellbeing of low-income individuals aged 64 or below. The findings suggest that ACA's Medicaid has a significant positive effect on the mental wellbeing of informal caregivers.
REVIEW OF ECONOMICS OF THE HOUSEHOLD
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Brystana G. Kaufman, Kelley A. Jones, Melissa A. Greiner, Abhigya Giri, Lucas Stewart, Amanda He, Amy G. Clark, Donald H. Taylor, M. Kate Bundorf, Rebecca G. Whitaker, Courtney H. Van Houtven, Aparna Higgins
Summary: This study aims to describe the healthcare utilization and spending for need-based subgroups in North Carolina's full benefit, dual-eligible population, to inform the design of integrated programs. The study found substantial use of both Medicare and Medicaid-funded services across all need-based subgroups, with different proportions of total spending. This suggests the need for a tailored approach to integration strategies.