Incretin-based therapies for the management of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) have become a well-established class of drugs within the VHA, according to a new study.
Stimulating a Target Brain Circuit Holds Promise for Treating PTSD
Scientists studying post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been puzzled by several mysteries surrounding the condition, such as why military personnel with severe brain injuries are less likely to develop PTSD compared to those without any brain injury or why a neurostimulation therapy that has proven helpful for other mental health disorders actually worsened PTSD in some studies.
GLP-1 RAs Promising for Reducing Cirrhosis, Mortality in Liver Disease Patients
Treatment with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) showed promise in lowering the incidence of cirrhosis and mortality in veterans with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and diabetes, as long as the drug was initiated early in the course of the disease.
Genetic Sequencing Study Is ‘Step in the Right Direction’ Toward Improving Equity in VA Prostate Cancer Trials and Treatment
Prostate cancer affects an estimated 1 in 8 men at some point during their lives, with black men affected at almost double the rate of whites.
Shields Helped Implement Program to Bring Infusion Closer to VHA Patients
The idea for VA’s Close To Me Infusion Service has its roots in many places. One of them was a veteran that Jenna Shields, PharmD, BCOP, saw weekly at the Pittsburgh VAMC. Suffering from a hematologic condition, he required weekly infusions that could only be given at the medical center.
VA Has Low Rates of Preoperative Life-Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Surgery is a significant healthcare event that necessitates timely planning for goals of care (GOC), involving discussions about one’s current values, aspirations and treatment preferences.
Women Veterans Receiving Surgery at the VHA Have Half the Risk of Mortality
Only 11% of U.S. military veterans are women, according to recent statistics, and they make up even a smaller percentage of patients using VA healthcare—about 10%.
New Therapies Have Improved Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients
Improved treatment has meant better overall survival for many men diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a new research letter. For older patients, however, the benefits of the new therapies weren’t as effective, the authors pointed out.
Shields Helped Implement Program to Bring Infusion Closer to VHA Patients
The idea for VA’s Close To Me Infusion Service has its roots in many places, One of them a veteran that Jenna Shields, PharmD, BCOP, saw weekly at the Pittsburgh VAMC.
VA Has Low Rates of Preoperative Life-Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Surgery is a significant healthcare event that necessitates timely planning for goals of care (GOC), involving discussions about one’s current values, aspirations and treatment preferences.
Study Spotlights Barriers to Best Lung Cancer Care Within VHA
While it is well known that veteran populations have higher lung cancer incidence and worse overall survival compared with non-veteran populations, it is not clear how VA lung cancer patients perceive their care.
Veterans Treated in VAMCs for Some Common Conditions Had Better Outcomes
Outcomes were better for some common conditions among veterans treated in VA hospitals compared to community care, but the tradeoff often was higher resource use.
Signage, Targeted Education Can Improve Acute Appendicitis Care
Targeted in-person education and visible signs in the emergency department can increase adherence to institutional protocols designed to improve compliance with best practices for treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis, according to a recent study.
New Strategic Lab Director Fosters Disruptive Technologies, Seeks Growth
As the executive director of VA’s brand-new Strategic Initiatives Lab (Strat Lab), it is the mission of Anne Lord Bailey, PharmD, BCPS, to encourage VA to play the long shots.
Thrombosis Risk With Cancer Treatment Varies With VA Patient Characteristics
Has cancer-directed therapy changed patterns of the incidence and risk of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) at the VA?
Real-World Prognostic Data for Radiation Therapy in Localized Prostate Cancer
Accurate information regarding treatment outcomes after radiation therapy for localized prostate cancer is important for shared decision-making.
Surgical Excision Found More Cost-Effective Than Mohs Surgery
A retrospective study examined the cost differences between total surgical excision and Mohs surgery to treat skin cancer in the Miami VA Healthcare system.
Care Integration: Is VA Trying to Reinvent Something That Already Existed?
Despite the VA’s claims of an integrated, veteran-first model of healthcare, its patients regularly find themselves lost in a landscape of complex, siloed treatment that they are left to navigate for themselves. The challenge for patients only increases when community care is added to the equation, and they cannot rely on the consistent sharing of their records between VA and a private healthcare system.
New Bill to Raise VA Physician Salary Cap Goes to Full Senate
The Senate VA Committee has advanced sweeping bipartisan legislation that would allow VA to raise the salary cap for physicians to above $400,000.
VA Underused Pharmacotherapies for COVID-19 When First Authorized
When antiviral agents and monoclonal antibodies were first authorized for use at the beginning of the year, few of them were prescribed at the VA, according to a new study.
Childs, Fisher House Provides a ‘Safe Space” for Families of VA, MHS Patients
Having a loved one in the hospital can be one of the most stressful experiences for a family.
Telemedicine Effective for Parenteral Chemotherapy Administration at VAMC
With patients in rural Nebraska who have trouble accessing the primary campus in Omaha, the VA Affairs Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System (VA-NWIHCS) is using teleoncology and remote chemotherapy services to expand care to those veterans.
Veterans With CLL/SLL Have Suboptimal Adherence to New Therapies
Suboptimal adherence to new therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL), as well as related costs and healthcare resource use, demonstrate unmet needs in real-world treatment of the blood cancers, according to a new review.
Hormones Affect Sexual Function After AHSCT
How do hormones affect sexual function recovery after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), which is the standard of care for younger patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
Using Chemotherapy After Noninvasive Bladder Cancer
Using one dose of intravesical chemotherapy immediately following surgery for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer is recommended in national and international guidelines.
