Practice Transformation
More than 96% of U.S. physicians have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, according to a new AMA survey. Of the physicians who are not yet vaccinated, 45% intend to get one. The most common reason cited for not receiving the vaccine: It’s too new and has unknown long-term effects. The survey revealed no significant differences in physician vaccination rates across various demographic groups, including primary care vs specialist, region, gender, age and race. However, there was a significant difference in vaccination rates among Hispanics (84%) and non-Hispanics (97%). (Fierce Healthcare; AMA survey data)
Misinformation is the greatest threat to COVID-19 vaccination efforts, according to Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and it’s “inducing a lot of fear among people.” He points out that two-thirds of the unvaccinated say that they either believe the myths about COVID-19 or think that they might be true. CNN reported something else of concern: Roughly 10% of people who have received one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine missed their second dose. (CNN via WJZ, GTMRx report)
Evidence & Innovation
Poorly designed EHR systems may accelerate nurse burnout and increase safety risks for surgery, according to a new study published in Medical Care. The study found that surgical patients receiving care in hospitals with poor EHR usability were 21% more likely to die in the hospital after their procedures and 6% more likely to be readmitted within 30 days than those being treated in hospitals with better EHR usability. “EHR usability may be more important to nurse job and patient outcomes than comprehensive EHR adoption,” researchers concluded. (Modern Healthcare*; Medical Care)
A CRISPR-based infusion therapy showed some success in treating a genetic nerve disorder in six patients. Preliminary results demonstrate for the first time that CRISPR-based genome editing can be delivered throughout the body. The treatment reduced levels of a disease-causing protein by 87% in the higher-dose cohort with only mild side effects. The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It represents “a major milestone for the still-young field of genome editing,” STAT News reports. (STAT News; NEJM)
Health care costs are projected to increase 6.5% in 2022, according to a new PwC’s Health Research Institute report. That’s slightly lower than the 7% medical cost trend in 2021 and slightly higher than it was between 2016 and 2020. The primary driver: care that was deferred or forgone during the pandemic. Other factors include growing mental health issues, preparations for the next pandemic and investments in new digital tools are expected. The report made special note of drug spending as a consistent driver of medical costs. (Modern Healthcare*; PwC report)
Policy Solutions
State efforts to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates through million-dollar lotteries haven’t made a big dent overall. Some states saw a small bump, but nothing lasting according to a Politico analysis. “People aren’t buying it. The incentives don’t seem to be working—whether it’s a doughnut, a car or a million dollars,” says Irwin Redlener, who directs the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative at Columbia. Such giveaways appear to offer diminishing returns because the “movable middle” —those willing but not persuaded to get vaccinated—shrinks every day. (Politico)
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In Case You Missed It!
Leadership from GTMRx’s PGx Payment and Policy Taskforce and Payment and Policy Solutions Workgroup have created 5 policy recommendations on PGx + CMM that policymakers should consider to ensure that patient medications are managed safely and effectively based on the unique characteristic of an individual patients’ genetic profile, including:
- Add the assessment of patient medications and drug-gene interactions to Medicare (Welcome to Medicare visit) and Medicaid benefits,
- Require CMS to reimburse preemptive multi-gene panel testing as one single test with one standard compensation code,
- Require CMS to reimburse members of the care team trained to evaluate/manage all medications based on patient’s genotype, multi-drug interactions, Rx metabolism, etc.,
- Direct the National Quality Forum (NQF) to review and make recommendations on drug-gene interaction efficacy and safety checks prior/post admin of drugs within CMM,
- Recommend the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force evaluate evidence of PGx testing and CMM, for drugs with known drug-gene interactions, as a preventive health care practice that addresses patient outcomes/medical expenditures and that should be covered by ACA plans.
In addition to development of Vaccine Confidence Leagues (VCLs) and community-building activities, the task force’s recommendations include:
- Accelerated approval of vaccines
- Public education
- Payment reform
- Improved vaccine access for primary care practices
- More effective immunization information systems (IIS)
- No cost-sharing for certain patients
- Enhanced diversity, inclusion, and equity
Find the report Frequently Asked Questions here.
Read the report here.
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