Unbiased Analysis of Today's Healthcare Issues
How does one measure the cost effectiveness of flu vaccination? Today we will examine a paper which attempts to do just that. Nichol, et al. (2003) preforms a cost-benefit analysis of live attenuated influenza vaccination (LAIV) for healthy, working adults. This type of vaccination is administered through a nasal spray than through an intramuscular shot.…
According to Thompson, et al. (2003), approximately 51,000 people per year died annually due to influenza related diseases between 1990 and 1999. Mortality rates are appreciably higher for those over 65 years of age. In order to reduce mortality and morbidity from influenza in the U.S., the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) released…
Which treatment is more effective: placebo one or placebo two? This is the test researchers Ted Kaptchuk and colleagues investigated in their study published in the British Medical Journal and summarized in an April 2006 issue of Discover (“Placebo vs. Placebo“). Kaptchuk looked at 266 volunteers with chronic arm pain and randomly assigned each of…
What is the most efficient procedure to immunize large groups of people? This is an interesting question, especially considering the potential need to distribute vast amounts of medicine in the case of a terrorist attack. Since the CDC’s Vaccinations for Children (VFC) program recommended flu shots for that all children age six months and to…
There are two treatment options for patients with breast cancer. The first is a breast conserving surgery (BCS) which removes the cancerous lump (lumpectomy) followed by irradiation treatment. The second option is a mastectomy which removes the entire breast. Lecia Apantaku claims in the American Family Physician journal in 2002, that “survival rates following breast conservation…
People love their doctors. Study after study has shown this to be true. Typically 75%-95% of patients surveyed claim that they completely or mostly trust their physician. Does this finding hold even when doctors are compensated through a capitation method and have a financial incentive to withhold care? A study by Kao, et al. (1998) shows…
Are you feeling ill or experiencing worrying symptoms? Interested in looking for information regarding a disease? If so, you can find answers to these and other medical questions at Wrong Diagnosis. This site uses reliable sources to create it medical database. These sources include: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute…
Can Pay for Performance (P4P) improve care and slow spending growth in the U.S.? Joe Paduda is doubtful. So is John Wennberg of the Dartmouth Medical School. In his report (“Variation…“) for The Commonwealth Fund, Wennberg says that P4P initiatives can be very effective in creating incentives for physicians to operate under best practices. For instance, practice guidelines…
Good news for coffee-aholics like myself. The Seattle Times reports (“Coffee’s Health Conundrums“) that coffee may have health benefits including a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the Pauling Institute concluded that “there is little evidence of health risk and some evidence of health benefits” for up to four cups a day.
Ten days ago, MedPageToday ran an article (“Hefty Bank Account…“) which claimed that people who have more money are healthier. Using the 2000 Census American Community Survey, the study finds that “a 55-year-old man making about $49,500 per year is 44% more likely to have a functional disability than his neighbor making $57,800 a year.” This…