A January 22, 2017 JAMA article examined the readmission rate and costs of patients discharged with a diagnosis of sepsis. The study examined the 30-day readmission rates. Currently, CMS tracks readmissions following index hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia Although previously unstudied, the authors hypothesized that… Read More
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is partnering with a national suicide prevention organization, called the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The subject of suicide is a sensitive one, especially among gun rights advocates. And while many gun owners recognize the problem — that some two-thirds of all firearms deaths are self-inflicted — they are… Read More
More than 1 in 3 adults in the United States live with obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2008, obesity was estimated to cost $147 billion in medical care. Medical costs for a person with obesity were around $1,429 higher than for people without obesity. Obesity and related conditions… Read More
There have been a lot of recent studies on various foods and drinks that are helpful in improving memory and decreasing dementia. This post reviews another study that concludes that cocoa compounds improve memory. This study looked at individuals 50-69 and concluded that a high flavanol (cocoa drink) improves memory. Dietary cocoa flavanols — naturally… Read More
A Perspective article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Days Spent at Home — A Patient-Centered Goal and Outcome This study suggests we should consider days at home as a quality measure rather then readmissions. Post measures of the quality of health care delivery focus on what health care providers do, not what… Read More
The Kaiser Family Foundation website looks at where the healthcare dollar goes. Apparently $2.3 trillion was spent on healthcare in 2010 Hospital care—31 percent Physician/clinical services—20 percent Retail Rx drugs—10 percent Net cost of health insurance—6 percent Investment—6 percent Other health, residential, and personal care—8 percent Other professional services—7 percent Nursing home care—5 percent Home… Read More
This JAMA Dermatology looks at the the Association Between Indoor Tanning and Melanoma in Younger Men and Women This study was a Population-based case-control study conducted in Minnesota of 681 patients (465 [68.3%] women) diagnosed as having melanoma between 2004 and 2007, and 654 controls (446 [68.2%] women), ages 25 to 49 years. The study particularly… Read More
Weekend warriors are defined as the people that work business hours and then exercise like crazy over several days. “Weekend warrior” completed their 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity in 1 or 2 days per week, This article in the January 9, 2017 issue of JAMA looks at the question of whether… Read More
This article looks at the steep escalation of Pharma drugs The CMS on Wednesday released data on the price history of 5,000 prescription drugs over five years, shedding light on the fastest rising source of healthcare costs in recent years. The drug with the biggest rise in cost per unit in Medicare Part D from… Read More
