Health care organizations are a major target for cyberattacks. This is primarily due to their peculiar vulnerabilities and attractiveness to nefarious cyber actors. Data breaches from these attacks present a significant threat to the viability of health care organizations, ranging from financial losses to compromised patient safety. Cybersecurity insurance has become an essential tool for mitigating financial liabilities that may arise from breaches for many organizations. This paper reviews the current state of cybersecurity insurance adoption in the health care sector. It highlights best practices in cybersecurity insurance policy for health care organizations and recommends future directions to strengthen cybersecurity and improve cybersecurity insurance.

Setting Nonoptimized medication therapies (NOMTs) are associated with likely avoidable illnesses and mortality affecting millions of people and costing an estimated $528 billion per year in excess health spending in the United States. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic brought into focus barriers limiting the ability of U.S. pharmacists and pharmacies to provide services that can reduce NOMTs and improve U.S. population health. Objectives This National Science Foundation Center for Health Organization Transformation study explored potential strategies that U.S. pharmacists, pharmacies, and their partners could implement to reduce NOMTs while also delivering other forms of value to U.S. populations from 2021 to 2025 (during and after the COVID-19 pandemic). Design A panel of senior leaders representing the U.S. pharmacist and pharmacy sector participated in a 4-round Delphi process to identify unmet needs, barriers, change drivers, and priority strategies for meeting those needs. Data were gathered and analyzed by public health researchers, most of whom are outside the pharmacist and pharmacy sector. Results A comprehensive set of evidence-based strategies with potential to reduce NOMTs, protect and improve population health and well-being, and strengthen the sector were identified. Four transformational strategies were recommended: comprehensive payment and practice transformation, strengthening pharmacy data interoperability infrastructure, development of unifying measurement and management mechanisms, and development of a more robust national research infrastructure. Strengthening health equity was a cross-cutting strategy affecting all areas. Conclusion The results may be of interest to policy makers, pharmacists, pharmacies, physicians, nurses and other clinicians, pharmaceutical firms, plan sponsors, plans, health systems, clinics, aging care, digital technology companies, and others interested in optimizing outcomes from medications and related therapies for U.S. populations.

Introduction:Although diabetes is one of the leading chronic disease in the country, efforts in primary care and patient self-care management could prevent most of the diabetes-related hospitalizations and produce cost savings and improvements in quality of life. We used information from Medicaid beneficiaries in 3 states to predict racial differences in diabetes hospitalizations and demonstrate how they vary across states.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine differences between black and white patients with diabetes hospitalizations. Information was obtained from the Medicaid Analytic eXtract files. We used multiple logistic regression models to assess the significance of the differences.Results:Analysis included 10 073 adult Medicaid recipients from the states of Mississippi (51%), Georgia (35%), and Michigan (14%). Blacks were more likely to experience longer hospital stays in Georgia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.040; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.06) and Mississippi (OR = 1.048; 95% CI: 1.03-1.07). A majority of patients in both groups were likely to be discharged to their homes for self-care. Black patients had lower odds of repeated stays in Georgia (OR = 0.670; 95% CI: 0.54-0.84), but higher odds in Michigan (OR = 1.580; 95% CI: 1.12-2.24). Similar differences occurred when patients were matched by age and sex. Blacks had lower odds of qualifying for dual Medicare–Medicaid enrollment benefit in Georgia and Mississippi.Conclusion:Racial differences in diabetes-related hospitalizations reflect possible inefficiencies in the process of care. Identification of race-specific factors for hospitalizations and implementation of primary care strategies that support effective self-management skills would aid in reducing diabetes hospitalizations and related disparities.

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Objective: To examine the relationship between Breast Cancer Screening (BCS) and Moderate Psychological Distress (MPD). Also, to assess the effect of aggregating women with No Psychological Distress (NPD) and MPD into one group, as done in prior studies when evaluating the relationship between BCS and Psychological Distress (PD).Methods: The study population comprised of 34,565 women aged 50-74 years who participated in the National Health Interview Survey from 2013 to 2017. The Kessler-6 PD index score (0-24) was dichotomized (0-12: NPD; > 13: Severe Psychological Distress SPD) and trichotomized (0-5: NPD; 5-12: MPD; > 13 SPD). Two multivariate logistic regressions were conducted for the dichotomous and trichotomous PD categories. Andersen’s Behavioral Model of Health Services Use guided the choice of covariates. Data analysis was conducted using SAS version 9.4.Results: Our study showed 4.6% had SPD, and 17.9% had MPD. The latter group (MPD) was included in the NPD group in the dichotomous analysis. In the dichotomous analysis, women with SPD (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.63, 0.81, p < .00001) were less likely to have received a mammogram than those with NPD. In the trichotomous model, women with SPD (aOR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67, 0.87, p = .0001) and MPD (aOR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.78, 0.91, p <.00001) were both less likely to have had a mammogram than those with NPD.Conclusions: Prior studies that included individuals with MPD among those with NPD overestimated the effect of SPD on mammography and minimized the importance of targeting women with MPD along with those that have SPD to enhance the uptake of mammography.