All Posts By

Kevin Roche

The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry through Roche Consulting, LLC. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.

Jan 02 2014

Long-term use of anti-obesity drugs appear to help some patients achieve greater weight loss, when combined with lifestyle interventions, according to research in JAMA.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1774038
Jan 02 2014

A study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that high doses of vitamin E may delay progression of Alzheimer's disease.

http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1810379
Dec 31 2013

AHRQ has published a report on how to most effectively communicate health information and research findings to various audiences.

http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productID=1756
Dec 30 2013

Medical Transcription Billing Corporation, which provides cloud-based EHRs and other software, has filed for an initial public offering.

http://www.mtbc.com/mtbc_ipo.aspx
Dec 30 2013

AHRQ Statistical Brief on 2011 Non-Institutionalized Health Spending

http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st425/stat425.pdf
Dec 30 2013

GNS Healthcare, a "big data" health care analytics company, is in the process of raising $10 million to support its business.

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2013/12/24/boston-roundup-gns-dailyfeats-wymsee-moontoast-angels/
Dec 30 2013

HHS and CMS have extended the rules providing relief from anti-kickback and fraud provisions for helping providers obtain health information technology to meet the meaningful use requirements.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/current
Dec 30 2013

A study in the American Journal of Managed Care looked at specialty drug use in a commercial population from 2000 to 2009, finding that about 1.6% of patients were prescribed a specialty drug, and these drugs represented about 9.3% of overall pharmacy spending.  Over the study period specialty drug costs went from about 1% of total health spending to 3.7%, a rate of growth that likely has accelerated, but that the authors view as relatively insignificant in cost control efforts.

http://www.ajmc.com/publications/ajpb/2013/ajpb_2013_nov/The-Role-of-Specialty-Drugs-in-Private-Sector-Healthcare-Spending?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=AJMC&utm_campaign=AJPB+Specialty+12%2D26%2D13
Dec 30 2013

A study published in the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy finds that statin users who have a copay are less likely to be adherent to their prescription and that those who have no copay on other drugs are less likely to adhere to their statin prescription than to the non-copay drugs.

http://www.amcp.org/JMCP/2014/January/17494/1033.html
Dec 26 2013

According to an article in Modern Physician, disenchantment with EHRs among physicians has reached the point where there is concern that many will drop out of the government's meaningful use program.

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20131221/MAGAZINE/312219936/1135?AllowView=VXQ0UnpwQzRDUGFmL1I3TkErT1lBajNja0U4VkNPUmNFQk1EQWc9PQ==
Dec 26 2013

According to a survey from Buck Consultants, once consumers are enrolled in a plan with a health savings account, they engage in more health conscious behaviors.

https://www.buckconsultants.com/portals/0/publications/press-releases/2013/NR-Buck-Consultants-BenefitWallet-HSASurvey-2013-1211.pdf