Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Rheumatology for December 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Machine Learning System Makes More Alerts for Med Errors
TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A machine learning system can generate clinically valid alerts for medication errors that might be missed with existing clinical decision support (CDS) systems, according to a study published in the January issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.
MIV-711 No Better Than Placebo for Pain Relief in Knee OA
TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A novel cathepsin K inhibitor, MIV-711, is no more effective than placebo for reducing pain in patients with symptomatic, radiographic knee osteoarthritis, according to a study published online Dec. 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Depression May Worsen QOL in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and depression tend to have higher disease activity and lower quality of life than patients without depression, according to a review published online Dec. 19 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Many Hospitals Fail to Provide Instructions for Patient Portals
THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many hospital patient portals fail to educate patients fully and set expectations for secure messaging, according to a study recently published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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Palliative Care Services Lagging Worldwide
TUESDAY, Dec. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Greater palliative care development and implementation is needed worldwide, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Patient Share of Out-of-Network Costs Rising
TUESDAY, Dec. 24, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The out-of-pocket costs for out-of-network (OON) care grew rapidly for privately insured Americans from 2012 to 2017, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Managed Care.
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act Holds Steady for Third Straight Year
MONDAY, Dec. 23, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Enrollment in Affordable Care Act coverage for next year has surpassed 8 million, a sign that many Americans still turn to the government health insurance program to help pay for their medical care.
Vitamin D Supplementation Alone May Not Reduce Fracture Risk
FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Supplementation with vitamin D alone does not appear to reduce the risk for fracture, according to a review published online Dec. 20 in JAMA Network Open.
Anifrolumab Improves Response at 52 Weeks in Lupus
FRIDAY, Dec. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), anifrolumab is associated with improved response at 52 weeks versus placebo, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Private Care Program for U.S. Vets Gets $8.9 Billion in Budget Deal
THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A controversial program meant to get more U.S. veterans to use private health care received $8.9 billion as part of a government spending bill approved by the House.
FDA to Allow States to Import Prescription Drugs From Other Countries
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Federal health officials have unveiled plans to allow prescription drug imports from Canada and other foreign nations.
Outcomes Worse for Rural Residents With Chronic Conditions
MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Rural Medicare beneficiaries with complex chronic conditions have higher preventable hospitalization and mortality rates than their urban peers, which is partially explained by reduced access to specialists, according to a report published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Domestic Abuse Increases Risk for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue
MONDAY, Dec. 16, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is an association between a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the development of functional syndromes, including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), in women, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
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Hahn Confirmed as New FDA Chief
FRIDAY, Dec. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Stephen Hahn, M.D., was confirmed as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a 72-18 Senate vote on Thursday.
Factors Examined for Time to First Rx for Biologic DMARD in RA
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For older patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there is considerable variation in time to receipt of first biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) after prescription of the first conventional synthetic (cs) DMARD, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in JAMA Network Open.
Type 2 Diabetes More Common in Patients With Psoriasis
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Rates of type 2 diabetes may be higher among patients with psoriasis, according to a study published online Dec. 3 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
U.S. Primary Care Doctors Face Challenges in Coordinating Care
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians from the United States and other high-income countries report difficulties with care coordination, with a substantial proportion of U.S. physicians not receiving timely notification or the information needed from specialists or other sites of care, according to a study published online Dec. 10 in Health Affairs.
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U.S. Health Care Spending Up 4.6 Percent in 2018
TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2018, U.S. health care spending increased 4.6 percent, a faster rate than that seen in 2017, according to a report published online Dec. 5 in Health Affairs.
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2016 to 2019 Saw Increase in Medical Students With Disabilities
MONDAY, Dec. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2016 to 2019, there was an increase in the proportion of medical students reporting disabilities, according to a research letter published in the Nov. 26 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Half of U.S. Physicians Recommend Complementary Health Approaches
MONDAY, Dec. 9, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More than half of office-based physicians recommend complementary health approaches (CHAs) to their patients, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Retail Prescription Drug Prices Fall for First Time in 45 Years
FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Retail prescription drug prices in the United States fell by 1 percent last year, a new government report shows.
Rural Population Underrepresented Among Medical Students
FRIDAY, Dec. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2017, less than 5 percent of all incoming medical students were rural students, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Services Affected by Rural Hospitals Joining Health Systems
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — While affiliating with health systems may boost a rural hospital’s financial viability, the affiliation is often associated with reductions in critical services, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs, a theme issue on rural health.
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Palm, Finger Temps Higher on Thermal Imaging in RA Patients
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Palm and finger temperatures are significantly increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without active inflammation compared with healthy controls, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in Scientific Reports.
Adults Not Living in Metro Areas Have Reduced Access to Care
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Adults not living in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are more likely to have reduced access to or use of health care services, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in the National Health Statistics Reports, a publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Physician Depressive Symptoms Tied to Higher Risk for Medical Errors
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Physicians showing depressive symptoms are at higher risk for medical errors, according to a review published Nov. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
Palmoplantar Pustulosis Confirmed as Orphan Disease
TUESDAY, Dec. 3, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Co-occurring psoriasis is common among patients with palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), according to a study published in the November issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Fracture Risk Increased in Adults With Atopic Eczema
MONDAY, Dec. 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Patients with atopic eczema have an increased risk for fracture, especially major osteoporotic fractures, according to a study published online Nov. 19 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
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