The Intelligencer reports on the experience of Dr. Dan Hurley, an ear, nose, and throat physician with over 20 years of experience, with prior authorization requirements delaying his care in significant ways to illustrate the difficulties many have with the prior authorization process. The article summarizes the history of prior authorization from the 1960s to the present. AMA Immediate Past President Jack Resneck Jr., MD, said that prior authorization has “really become a tool to clearly delay and deny care for our patients.” Resneck added, “In the meantime, the patients aren’t getting treated, and we know that a significant portion of those patients give you up. So their diabetes, their depression, their hypertension, or whatever it is just gets worse.”

Related Links:

— “The Two Words That Can Make Health Care a Nightmare Prior authorization buries doctors in paperwork and delays care, sometimes with disastrous results.,”Chris Stanton, Intelligencer, July 10, 2023

CNN (7/10, LaMotte) reports, “As little as 20 minutes of moderate activity a day for five days a week can significantly lower the risk of depressive symptoms for people over 50 who have conditions often linked to depression, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain,” investigators concluded in findings published online July 10 in JAMA Network Open. The study “followed more than 4,000 Irish adults with an average age of 61 for 10 years.”

Psychiatric News (7/10) reports, “Adults who performed vigorous activity…had a 20% lower rate of depressive symptoms and 44% lower odds of major depression compared with the low physical activity group.”

Related Links:

— “Certain conditions can impact how much exercise you need to ease depression, study finds,”Sandee LaMotte, CNN, July 10, 2023

HealthDay (7/10, Mozes) reports, “Even slow walking can help improve…mental and physical health, say the British researchers who tracked more than 1,400 adults age 60 and up.” In contrast, “shifting to more sedentary habits after age 60 significantly hurt seniors’ quality of life,” the study revealed. The findings of the 1,433-older adult study were published online in the journal Health and Quality of Life Outcomes.

Related Links:

— “Want a Healthier, Happier Old Age? Get Moving,”Alan Mozes, HealthDay, July 10, 2023

Healio (7/10, Herpen) reports, “Children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety, depression or both had greater headache-related disability compared with those without,” investigators concluded in a study that “included more than 8,000 individuals aged six to 17…asked to complete an outpatient neurology visit questionnaire relating to behavioral health, the pedMIDAS scale regarding headache-related disability, as well as a range of headache characteristics.” The findings were presented in a poster at the American Headache Society annual meeting.

Related Links:

— “Anxiety, depression linked to greater headache-related disability in pediatric population,”Robert Herpen, Healio, July 10, 2023

HealthDay (7/7, Murez) reported, “The use of antipsychotic medication in children is continuing to plummet, likely because of better policies and education,” investigators concluded after examining “Medicaid claims data between 2008 and 2016, looking at the off-label usage of these medications.” The study revealed “a 43% drop in antipsychotic prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children in 45 states, a stark contrast from the sharp rise in the 2000s.” The study authors concluded, “The decline we observed likely reflects the convergence of multiple state safer-use policies along with educational initiatives and the implementation of quality metrics for safe antipsychotic prescribing.” The findings were published in the July issue of the journal Health Affairs.

Related Links:

— “Fewer Kids Are Being Prescribed Antipsychotic Meds,”Cara Murez, HealthDay, July 7, 2023