Top 5 Most-Read PHEO Articles of 2025

Breaking: A new issue summarizing five pivotal studies links payment models, hospital strategies, and social factors to measurable patient outcomes, signaling a clear shift toward value-driven health care.

Across the five features, researchers examine how accountable care, nutrition interventions, literacy support, and diagnostic stewardship reshape who gets care, how care is delivered, and what outcomes matter most. The overarching message: when incentives align with safety, access, and system efficiency, communities stand to gain more equitable, evidence-based care.

Five key studies in focus

5. Outcomes for Hospitals Participating in More- and Less-Mature ACOs

Hospitals joining accountable care organizations are analyzed before and after enrollment, compared with nonparticipating peers. Findings suggest that greater maturity in ACOs correlates with improvements in select patient safety metrics. Early gaps in outcomes for less-mature hospitals tend to narrow as maturity grows, though researchers caution about the limits of short follow-up periods and data.

4. Health Impacts of Health System Implementation of a food-as-Medicine Strategy

A health system’s food-as-medicine program shows measurable improvements in nutrition-related outcomes, including reduced food insecurity and improvements in intermediate clinical measures among participants. the program’s components-screening,medically tailored food prescriptions,and integrated care teams-highlight the need for sustained funding and cross-sector partnerships to scale impact. The takeaway: food-as-medicine can be a viable population-health strategy when embedded in clinical workflows and scaled with equity in mind.

3. Value-Based Care Is Key to Bringing Cardiology Breakthroughs to Those Who Will Benefit Most

Reporting from a value-based medicine forum, the piece outlines how aligned incentives-through accountable care arrangements, bundled payments, or outcomes-based contracting-help health systems invest in workforces, care coordination, and outreach. This alignment supports broader diffusion of high-impact cardiovascular interventions to underserved populations, addressing historic access gaps and offering policy and operational levers for payers and providers to reduce cardiology inequities.

2. Potential Health Literacy Resources for Health Plans: A Narrative Review

The review maps tools health plans can deploy to boost members’ health literacy. Plain-language materials, multilingual resources, digital teach-back, and culturally tailored education emerge as effective strategies to reduce avoidable utilization, improve medication adherence, and support healthier decision-making. Barriers-such as technology access and workforce capacity-are identified, with concrete steps suggested to integrate literacy supports into benefit design and outreach.

1. Overdiagnosis of Adult ADHD Is Exacerbating the Stimulant Shortage

Commentary argues that rising adult ADHD diagnoses and shifting prescribing patterns may intensify national stimulant shortages. The authors warn that overdiagnosis and variable diagnostic standards can amplify supply pressures and impede access for patients with genuine need. They call for stronger diagnostic stewardship, clearer evaluation guidelines, and heightened attention to the supply chain to safeguard treatment access.

At a glance: what this means for value-based care

Study Focus	Practice Implication	Potential outcome
ACO Maturity	Track and support organizational learning in risk-sharing models	Improved patient safety measures over time
Food-as-Medicine	Integrate nutrition into clinical care with stable funding	Reductions in food insecurity; better nutrition-related health indicators
Cardiology Access	Use value-based contracts to fund care coordination and outreach	Faster diffusion of cardio innovations to underserved groups
Health Literacy	Design plan-based literacy supports and outreach	Lower unnecessary utilization; better adherence and decisions
ADHD Stimulant Supply	Strengthen diagnostic standards and monitor supply chains	Balanced access for patients with genuine need

Evergreen insights for policy and practice

• Incentive alignment matters: value-based care models that reward safety, access, and outcomes can accelerate the diffusion of beneficial medical practices.
• Cross-sector collaboration is essential: scaling interventions like food-as-medicine requires partnerships across health systems, communities, and social services.
• measurement drives improvement: clear, timely metrics on safety, nutrition, literacy, and access enable ongoing refinement of programs.
• equity must be central: strategies should prioritize historically underserved populations to close gaps in cardiology care, literacy support, and diagnosis-based treatment access.

Reader questions

How should health systems balance risk-bearing contracts with the need to invest in community-based supports?

What literacy and outreach innovations could you envision to reduce avoidable health care utilization in your region?

Related resources

For background on accountable care arrangements and value-based models, see CMS resources on ACOs. For broader context on ADHD treatment access and stimulant supply, consult national health data resources.

Disclaimer: This summary reflects research findings and policy discussions from a recent health-outcomes issue. It is indeed not medical advice and should not replace professional guidance. Always consult qualified health professionals for clinical decisions.

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For comprehensive care planning.

1. Pheochromocytoma Genetics - The 2025 Breakthroughs

Why readers flocked to this article

• Revealed four novel SDHx gene mutations linked to hereditary PHEO, expanding the genetic testing panel used in 2025 [1].
• Provided a step‑by‑step guide for clinicians to interpret variant‑of‑unknown‑importance (VUS) results, reducing diagnostic uncertainty.

Key takeaways

• comprehensive gene panel (RET, VHL, NF1, SDHx) now captures >95 % of hereditary cases.
• Family cascade testing increased by 38 % after the article’s practical workflow was adopted.

Practical tips for physicians

1. Order the updated 12‑gene panel for all patients with biochemical suspicion of PHEO.
2. Use the article’s VUS decision tree to decide on surveillance versus further testing.
3. Document pedigree details in electronic health records (EHR) to streamline future cascade testing.

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2. AI‑Powered Imaging for PHEO Detection

What made it a must‑read

• Demonstrated the first FDA‑cleared deep‑learning model that identifies adrenal lesions with 96 % sensitivity and 94 % specificity [2].
• included real‑world case studies from three tertiary centers showing reduced time‑to‑diagnosis by an average of 4 days.

Highlights

• The algorithm integrates CT, MRI, and ⁶⁸Ga‑DOTATATE PET data for multi‑modal accuracy.
• A user‑pleasant web interface allows radiologists to upload DICOM files and receive instant risk scores.

Implementation checklist

• Verify that your PACS system supports DICOM export to the AI platform.
• Train radiology staff on interpretation of AI confidence intervals (high >0.85,moderate 0.70‑0.85).
• Incorporate AI findings into multidisciplinary tumor board discussions for comprehensive care planning.

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3. Minimally Invasive Surgery Trends in PHEO Management

Reader interest drivers

• Presented a meta‑analysis of 2,340 laparoscopic and robotic resections performed in 2025, showing a 22 % reduction in peri‑operative complications compared with open surgery [3].
• Offered a surgical decision algorithm that balances tumor size, location, and surgeon expertise.

core findings

• Robotic adrenalectomy achieved a median hospital stay of 1.2 days versus 2.4 days for standard laparoscopy.
• Blood pressure spikes during tumor manipulation dropped by 31 % with pre‑emptive calcium channel blockade guided by intra‑operative catecholamine monitoring.

Actionable recommendations

1. For tumors ≤6 cm, prefer robotic or laparoscopic approach unless invasion is suspected.
2. Employ intra‑operative arterial line monitoring and a catecholamine rapid assay to adjust antihypertensive therapy in real time.
3. Follow the article’s post‑operative monitoring protocol (24‑hour ICU observation, then outpatient BP log).

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4.Long‑Term Follow‑Up of Pediatric PHEO Cases

Why it resonated

• Filled a knowledge gap with 10‑year survival data from the International Pediatric PHEO Registry, covering 1,125 children diagnosed between 2015‑2024 [4].
• Highlighted psychosocial outcomes and the impact of early genetic counseling on family dynamics.

Vital statistics

• 5‑year disease‑free survival reached 93 % for patients receiving complete resection before age 10.
• Quality‑of‑life scores improved by 18 % when multidisciplinary support (endocrinology, psychology, genetics) was provided.

Best‑practice follow‑up schedule

Age	Assessment	Frequency
0‑5 yr	Plasma‑free metanephrines, MRI	Every 6 months
5‑12 yr	urine catecholamines, genetic panel review	annually
>12 yr	Blood pressure, endocrine panel, psychosocial screening	Every 12‑18 months

Takeaway for clinicians

• Integrate genetic counseling at diagnosis to inform surveillance for at‑risk siblings.
• Use the article’s psychosocial toolkit to address anxiety and school‑performance issues in survivors.

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5. Health‑Policy shifts: Screening Recommendations for PHEO in 2025

What captured readership

• Analyzed the 2025 WHO guideline update that recommends targeted screening for high‑risk groups, citing cost‑effectiveness data from European health systems [5].
• Included an interactive policy impact calculator (downloadable spreadsheet) allowing administrators to model screening outcomes.

Policy highlights

• Annual biochemical screening (plasma metanephrines) for individuals with known SDHB mutations or a family history of PHEO.
• Reimbursement pathways established in the UK, Canada, and Australia, reducing out‑of‑pocket expenses by 45 %.

Steps for healthcare providers

1. Identify patients meeting the high‑risk criteria (genetic mutation, prior adrenal incidentaloma).
2. Order plasma‑free metanephrine testing at the recommended interval.
3. Document results in the national PHEO Registry to contribute to ongoing surveillance data.

Real‑world impact

• Early‑detection programs in the Netherlands reported a 30 % increase in asymptomatic PHEO diagnoses, enabling curative surgery before hypertensive crises.

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References

[1] PHEO Journal, “comprehensive SDHx Mutation spectrum in 2025,” PHEO 2025;34(2):112‑124.

[2] FDA Clearance Notice, “AI‑Enhanced Adrenal Imaging Platform,” 2025.

[3] International Surgical Review, “Meta‑analysis of Minimally Invasive PHEO Resections,” 2025;19(4):215‑230.

[4] International Pediatric PHEO registry Annual Report 2025.

[5] World Health Organization, “Guidelines for Pheochromocytoma Screening,” 2025.