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Positive outcome of Medicare drug benefit
December 30, 2005An editorial by Richard Platt, professor and chair of the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention (of Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care), says that an unintended effect of the Medicare Drug Benefit could be the creation of the world's most valuable resource for understanding how drugs are used, as well as their risks and benefits, especially among the elderly and chronically ill. This article appears in the Dec. 29 New England Journal of Medicine.
"This will be possible because drug dispensing can be linked to individuals' other health information," explains Platt. Covering more than 40 million people, Medicare data can transform our ability to assess drugs in real-life conditions, particularly in this vulnerable population of beneficiaries, which is often underrepresented in clinical trials.
The lack of systematic collection and analysis of post-marketing utilization and outcomes of medication has delayed discovery of some serious problems, which were only realized when millions of people were exposed. Therefore, it is important to review patients' full medical records in the small number of cases for which this information makes a critical difference. Two existing programs, one in the CDC and one in the FDA, share features that can be adopted for Medicare data.
Platt states that Medicare data will offer a great opportunity to improve the nation's ability to understand the balance of risks and benefits of drug treatment, and if taken advantage of, there will be increased data about whether drugs are used as intended, whether they have their intended effects, and how risky they are.
Harvard Medical School
Platt states that Medicare data will offer a great opportunity to improve the nation's ability to understand the balance of risks and benefits of drug treatment, and if taken advantage of, there will be increased data about whether drugs are used as intended, whether they have their intended effects, and how risky they are.
Harvard Medical School
Medicare Current Events and Medicare News RSSDispensing prescription drugs in 3-month supplies reduces drug costs by a third
Purchasing prescription drugs in a three-month supply rather than a one-month supply has long been regarded as a way to reduce the cost of drugs for patients and third-party payers. New research from the University of Chicago quantifies the savings for the first time.
African-Americans with colorectal cancer have poorer outcomes, lower survival rates
New research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that African-American patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and are less likely to undergo surgical procedures compared with Caucasians, suggesting that improvements in screening and rates of operation may reduce differences in colorectal cancer outcomes for African-Americans.
Trimming US health care spending will require new approaches, study finds
Slowing the growth in U.S. health care spending will most likely require adoption of an array of strategies as well as an improved approach to moving promising strategies into widespread use, according to a new analysis by the RAND Corporation.
Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism
Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
Neuroimaging provides insights into new treatment options for Alzheimer's disease
With about 35 million people around the world suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the year 2010 and an expectation that these numbers will double every twenty years with approximately 115 million cases by 2050, pressure on healthcare systems worldwide will be intense.
Higher carotid arterial stenting rates associated with poorer clinical outcomes
Among eligible Medicare beneficiaries, increased use of carotid arterial stenting (CAS) procedures to treat carotid stenosis-the narrowing of the carotid artery-is associated with higher rates of mortality and adverse clinical outcomes, including heart attack and stroke, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Women with chronic kidney disease more likely than men to go undiagnosed
Woman are at particular risk of their primary care physicians delaying diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, California.
Residents play key role in CT colonography awareness and promoting the radiology specialty
Residents can serve a vital role in educating Congress, the medical community, and the general public regarding the efficacy of cutting-edge technologies like CT colonography (CTC) as well as the importance of radiologists' training and education and the role that radiologists serve in the provision of quality health care.
Older Patients with Dementia at Increased Risk for Flu Mortality
An epidemiological study on pneumonia and influenza (P&I) in adults age 65 and over reports that patients with dementia are diagnosed with flu less frequently, have shorter hospital stays, and have a fifty percent higher rate of death than those without dementia.
New data: Hospital imaging centers poised to pull back, hitting patients hardest in rural areas
Survivors and patients with cancers and heart disease, along with patient advocate organizations and physicians, today urged policymakers to enhance early diagnosis of deadly diseases by preserving access to advanced imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, in final health care reform legislation.
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