Eli Lilly expects Medicare about-face on Alzheimer’s drugs coverage
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 23, 2023
New data on Lilly’s experimental drug donanemab may influence CMS’s restrictive stance on coverage of this and other amyloid-busting Alzheimer’s treatments, a company executive says.
Most nursing home docs don’t prescribe SGLT2Is yet for diabetes: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 23, 2023
Most nursing home clinicians do not include sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) in their diabetes treatment toolkit. But use of the glucose-lowering drugs is growing in this setting, investigators...
Common infections linked to reduced cognitive test scores for older adults
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 23, 2023
Common infections, including with the herpes simplex virus, are associated with reduced performance on a test of global function, researchers from Johns Hopkins University report.
Clinical briefs for Monday, April 24
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 23, 2023
Lab charged with billing $358 million for unneeded nursing home COVID tests … Senators tweak proposal, cap certain insulin costs at $35 … Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins …...
Industry advocates have launched an online platform and forum open to all LTC staff who perform infection prevention and control duties.
Silos, shortages hamper transitions to long-term care, physician experts report
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 21, 2023
Most care transitions to LTC are effective. But fragmentation of care delivery, communication issues and worker shortages are the top barriers to success, say the authors of a new survey-based report from...
Advance care planning leads to comfort-focused cancer care, study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 21, 2023
Cancer patients who engage in advance care planning are more likely to receive less aggressive, more comfort-based end-of-life care, researchers report.
Clinical briefs for Friday, April 21
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 21, 2023
CDC signs off on seniors’ receipt of 2nd omicron-adapted COVID booster … Cranberry juice cuts repeat UTIs in women by 25%, but no data on use in the elderly … Biden picks cancer surgeon to run NIH...
Fewer hip fracture patients receive opioids after stay in SNF than IRF: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 19, 2023
These patients are 41% less likely to receive an opioid prescription when discharged from a skilled nursing facility, investigators say. But opioid use is high overall in these settings, they report.
Cognitive evaluations must become routine in primary care, experts say
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 19, 2023
“Sweeping changes” are needed to improve the rate of cognitive impairment detection by primary care providers, according to new recommendations from a workgroup of national experts.