Current medical research and opinion
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab combined with topical corticosteroids in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial (ADhere-J).
To evaluate efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab combined with topical corticosteroids (TCS) in Japanese patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). ⋯ Consistent with global data, lebrikizumab demonstrated clinical improvements with a positive benefit-risk profile in Japanese adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD through 16 weeks.
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The number of systematic reviews is increasing rapidly. Several methodologies exist for systematic reviews. Cochrane Reviews follow distinct methods to ensure they provide the most reliable and robust evidence, ideally based on rigorous evaluations of randomized controlled trials and other high-quality studies. We aimed to examine the difference in citation patterns of Cochrane Reviews and other systematic reviews. ⋯ In recent years, Cochrane Reviews and other systematic reviews had similar citation patterns, but other systematic reviews received more citations from 1993 to 2007. Other systematic reviews were more often never cited than Cochrane Reviews, and potentially wasted. The time window in which systematic reviews received citations has been progressively decreasing, possibly indicating a trend toward quicker recognition and uptake of these reviews within the academic community. Cochrane reviews aim to provide robust evidence, but this is not reflected in the citation metrics compared to other systematic reviews.
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The recent outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) poses significant public health challenges, particularly for immunocompromised populations such as patients with cancer. However, misinformation poses a significant challenge during new outbreaks for patients with chronic diseases, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, we aimed to assess perspectives and knowledge of patients with cancer on mpox and their willingness to receive mpox vaccination. ⋯ A substantial proportion of cancer patients in Turkey are hesitant to receive the mpox vaccine, primarily due to concerns about safety and its implications for cancer treatment. Targeted educational interventions that address these specific concerns and enhance understanding of the benefits of vaccination are critical to improving vaccine uptake in this vulnerable population.
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Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) represents a pivotal shift from volume-based to outcome-driven quality metrics centered on patient-valued outcomes. This approach requires collaboration across all participants in the health care value chain; providers, payers, pharma, policymakers and patients (collectively known as the 5Ps). Despite substantial theoretical endorsement of VBHC's potential for improving health outcomes and system efficiency, empirical evidence detailing its practical implementation remains limited. This field study evaluates the real-word implementation of VBHC within a health care organization. ⋯ The findings highlight that VBHC implementation and adoption is complex and requires incremental advancements, dedicated leadership, and resilient strategic framework spanning over multiple years. A comprehensive understanding of patient populations, risk stratification, and appropriate outcome metrics are essential to measure and deliver the VBHC transformation. Executive endorsement and transition funding during the transformation process are paramount to support this systemic shift. Collaboration among all 5 P stakeholders is essential for success. This field study underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation, providing a practical guide to enhance health care quality and efficiency that serves all stakeholders.
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Observational Study
Characteristics, blood counts, treatments, and clinical outcomes of 5871 patients with polycythemia vera treated in US community practices.
This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics-including blood counts and pharmacologic cytoreductive treatment patterns-and outcomes after 6 months of hydroxyurea (HU) treatment among patients with polycythemia vera (PV) in US community practices. ⋯ Nearly half of high-risk patients with PV did not receive pharmacologic cytoreductive treatment. Of those who did, over half had suboptimal response, suggesting these patients may need dose adjustments, improved adverse effect management, or alternative treatments. Longer follow-up may be needed to assess an association between HU response and survival.