More than half of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with a biologic discontinued treatment, and another 12% switched to at least 1 other biologic within a 2-year treatment period, according to a study led by Chureen Carter, PharmD, of Centocor Ortho Biotech Services.
A study of Humana members enrolled in commercial and Medicare Advantage plans showed that patients with fibromyalgia have higher health care utilization and costs than those without the disease.1 This is because of higher use of office visits, testing, and procedures as well as pain-related medications.
Managed care pharmacists will play a key role in reforming the current health care system by continuing to develop innovative programs that reduce costs and improve quality of care, said Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. He discussed the effects of the recent health care reform legislation in a presentation at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy meeting.
A simple way to quickly assess a patient's functional status and social network is to ask at some point during the examination, "How did you get here today?"
Electronic prescribing resulted in greater generic and formulary drug use, according to Crystal Chang, PharmD, and colleagues at Blue Shield of California, San Francisco. It also led to an average cost savings of 17.3% for both the member and the payer.
Women are more likely to look for health information online, according to results of the 2009 National Health Interview Survey.1 Of all those who responded, 45.6% said they had looked up health information on the Internet within the past year. Those aged 25 to 34 years were most likely to seek information online, and those 65 and older were least likely.
The treatment of patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and their various complications has become one of the most discussed and demanded insurance coverage mandates in multiple states. Insurance mandates are being heavily pushed by advocacy groups, especially Autism Speaks, with good success.
On March 2, 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services secretary released a notice of proposed rulemaking for establishing a certification program for electronic health records (EHRs).1
Several months have passed since the publication of the latest US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) breast cancer screening guidelines. The initial, sharp outcry, mainly over the task force’s recommendation against routine screening mammography for women aged 40 to 49 years, has somewhat subsided, but the overall significance of the group’s decision remains undetermined.
How safe and effective is combination therapy for rheumatoid arthritis?
Forty-five percent of adults in the United States have hypertension, high serum total cholesterol levels, or diabetes, according to a recent report from the CDC.1 Of these persons, approximately 13% have 2 conditions and nearly 3% have all 3 (Figure 1). In nearly 15% of those with 1 of these conditions, it remains undiagnosed.
Any procedures described on ConsultantLive.com should not be performed by clinicians without appropriate and complete training, evaluation of their patient’s condition and any possible contraindications or risk factors, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with the recommendations of other authorities.
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Beat Physician BurnoutDike Drummond MD is an expert in stress management and burnout prevention for physicians. He is a high energy speaker, trainer, and consultant on how to create physician engagement, healthy life balance and a physician friendly workplace. He is CEO of TheHappyMD.com where his newsletter reaches doctors in 63 countries around the world. Dr. Drummond is the creator of the Burnout Prevention Video Training Series and the 1 Minute Mindfulness Program for Physicians.
In the December 14, 2009 issue of The New Yorker magazine, Atul Gawande observed, “Cost is the specter haunting healthcare reform.”
