Eli Lilly & Co.’s announcement that it is slashing prices for its major insulin products could make life easier for some diabetes patients while easing pressure on Big Pharma. It also casts light on the profiteering methods of the drug industry’s price mediators — the pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs — at a time when… Read More »
Check out our November 2021 Podcast for a recap of recently published blogs and a preview of articles in the November 2021 issue of Medical Care.
Millions are losing sleep due to anxiety, fear, and the difficulty of maintaining a schedule during this pandemic. Research suggests that those who get insufficient sleep may be at risk for health conditions such as obesity and heart disease. Yet, too much sleep may increase the risk of other health conditions such as diabetes and… Read More »
The Veterans Health Administration (VA) has expanded research and education on complementary and integrative health (CIH) programs, focusing on pain, mental health, and chronic illness. CIH programs are a part of “Whole Health,” an approach to support veterans’ health and well-being. A recent Medical Care supplement contains several articles on the effectiveness and implementation of… Read More »
An October 2019 Medical Care supplement describes a learning health care system: the VA Evidence Synthesis Program (ESP). The ESP is dedicated to making high-quality evidence accessible to improve health and healthcare for veterans. The articles in the issue describe the outcomes from integrating research synthesis with qualitative and quantitative data from health systems. These… Read More »
“One foot in the grave,” he said. “Is that how you feel?” I asked. “No, it’s how I live.” Unsheltered for 38 years, he had lived primarily behind a dumpster floating in and out of the medical, social and judicial system. In the month before the new Keck School of Medicine of the University of… Read More »
Patients are increasingly involved in shaping research in health care, especially since the advent of the federal Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). PCORI actively promotes the engagement of patients and other stakeholders (clinicians, caregivers, purchasers, etc.) in the research process. As we discussed in an earlier entry on this blog, research terminology alone can be a… Read More »
Medication non-adherence can be a tricky issue for healthcare providers, patients, and pharmacists to solve. In addition to cost, there are many other factors that influence whether someone takes their medication(s) as prescribed. As discussed in the literature, side effects, confusion about medications, and the general human tendency to forget may all play a role.… Read More »
Ironically, many healthcare providers–doctors, nurses, physician and medical assistants–are not trained in “health” at all but in “medicine” instead. Often, as providers, our instinct is to first reach for a pill bottle or a procedure and forget about lifestyle changes that could be safer and more financially feasible for our patients. As the burden of… Read More »
Medication is an essential aspect of tertiary prevention, as it often addresses symptoms, may restore function, and minimizes adverse consequences associated with chronic conditions. Medication adherence is most often studied in the context of Medicare Part D. In a newly published Medical Care article, Drs. Roebuck, Kaestner, and Dougherty, instead measure the associations between medication… Read More »
What role does mental health play in preventable hospitalizations? In a new article in the January 2018 issue of Medical Care, Dr. Laura Medford-Davis and colleagues report that in Texas, mental illnesses were associated with higher odds of preventable hospitalizations. Using an administrative database of all Texas hospital admissions from 2005-2008, the authors found that 13% of… Read More »
American Indians (AIs) typically have poorer health outcomes than any other racial or ethnic minority group in the United States. This includes an increased risk for cancer, diabetes, injury related mortality, and infant mortality. AIs tend to have the highest rates of poverty and low rates of insurance coverage. Much of the AI population uses the Indian… Read More »
According to the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, hospital inpatient expenses account for a large portion (nearly 30%) of total health care expenses and health care spending is highly concentrated among a relatively small proportion of individuals. The top 1% of spenders accounted for 21.5% of total expenditures while the lower 50% accounted for just… Read More »
In 2013, there were 10.7 million people enrolled [PDF] in both Medicare and Medicaid. Dual eligibility depends on age, income, and disability. Dually enrolled beneficiaries are also responsible for a large share of program costs overall; 31% of Medicare fee-for-services spending for 18% of beneficiaries [PDF] who are dually enrolled. Given the additional health challenges [PDF] faced by dual eligibles, this… Read More »
Using 2003-2009 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) hospital discharge data from 6 geographically and demographically diverse states, Mukamel and colleagues found that African Americans continue to experience poorer quality primary care, especially for chronic conditions.