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I’m pleased to share my latest review on PCORI-funded studies that have produced results published in leading medical journals. What once was a trickle of such articles has turned into a steady stream, so expect more frequent updates!

Improving Access to Specialty Care for Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease affecting nearly 7 million Americans. As with many other chronic diseases, access to specialized care is crucial for treatment, and can be a barrier for people who live far from providers or who might have trouble traveling to an appointment. So April Armstrong, MD, MPH, of the University of Southern California, and colleagues, investigated whether online care could be an effective alternative to in-person care.

Their study randomly divided nearly 300 patients from California and Colorado into two groups; one saw dermatologists in person as usual, and the other—along with their primary care physicians—had online access to dermatologists who provided assessments, recommendations, education, and prescriptions. In an article in JAMA Network Open, the researchers say the patients in the online program saw just as much improvement in their condition as those who got in-person care in a clinic. Patients in the online group also saved the time it would have taken to travel to and from appointments.

The findings add to evidence about the potential for telehealth to make specialty care more accessible to those who need it.

How Often Should Patients with Lung Cancer Have Follow-Up Imaging after Surgery?

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States. Four in five cases are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is treated with surgery when spotted early. After surgery, patients have periodic tests—including a CT scan or X-ray—to check for any signs of the cancer’s return, but guidelines vary on how often to perform follow-up imaging. So Benjamin David Kozower, MD, MPH, and colleagues decided to try to figure out the best approach.

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The researchers examined medical records of 6,350 patients with NSCLC who had surgery and follow-up imaging, looking at whether the timing of the tests made a difference in health outcomes. As published in Annals of Surgery, patients who had imaging tests every three or six months lived no longer than those who had the tests every 12 months. More frequent testing also didn’t improve how early doctors detected returning or new cancers. As more and more people survive lung cancer, these results could help patients and their doctors weigh the benefits and risks of more-frequent imaging, and make better-informed care decisions.

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