The social determinants of health (SDOH) are conditions such as geographic location, genetics, diet and education that can impact the health of population groups. In a session at HIMSS 2017 in Orlando, Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, MA, MHSA, discussed how technological advancements can engage consumers and providers to address these SDOH that can improve or diminish health risks.

In patients with Type 1 diabetes, having correct glucose levels is the first step in high quality care. A recent study, published in Diabetes Care, tested the effectiveness in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with and without blood glucose monitoring (BGM) measurement. 

With the growing number of diabetes devices on the market, including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, patients are taking control of their diabetes. Just how interested patients are and what barriers these devices must overcome to reach patients is unknown. A recent study, published in Diabetes Care, identifies the barriers diabetes devices face and which patients use them.

The U.S. Department of Justice has joined a whistleblower lawsuit against UnitedHealth, alleging the insurer improperly received billions of dollars through Medicare Advantage.

Maintaining a level of physical activity is key in not only preventing the rise of obesity but also many chronic diseases. A recent study led by researcher from the American Cancer Society, and published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, showed that continuously assessments of physical activity during visits to the physician could lower rates of chronic diseases.

Health expenditures in the U.S. are expected to grow by an average of 5.6 percent annually through 2025, driven by rising medical prices that won’t be offset by slower growth in other areas.

After their proposed merger was blocked by a federal judge, insurers Anthem and Cigna now have new opponents in court: each other.

Humana will be leaving all Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges and withdraw all its business from the individual insurance market in 2018, becoming the first major insurer to make a full exit amid uncertainty about the law’s future.