background : because of the rapid aging rate, the share of health expenditure in gross domestic product rises irreversibly and increases concern among politicians and the general public. the aim of this study was to examine the accuracy of the baumol’s model of unbalanced growth in iran over the period 1981-2010. methods : this theoretical-analytical study was conducted in 2012 to investigate t...

A literature review was conducted to obtain a high-level view of the value of telemedicine in the management of five common chronic diseases (asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension). A total of 141 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was identified, in which 148 telemedicine interventions of various kinds had been tested in a total of 37,695 patients. The value of each intervention...

There is an increasing demand for acute care services due in part to rising proportions of older people and increasing rates of chronic diseases. To reduce pressure and costs in the hospital system, community-based post-acute care discharge services for older people have evolved as one method of reducing length of stay in hospital and preventing readmissions. However, it is unclear whether they...

OBJECTIVE Effectiveness differences between outpatient pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) treatment regimens are uncertain, but significant differences in cost exist. GOAL To examine the influence of antibiotic costs on PID therapy cost-effectiveness. STUDY DESIGN The authors used a Markov decision model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of recommended antibiotic regimens for PID and perfor...

Seasonal and pandemic influenza causes considerable morbidity and mortality globally, but the burden of disease is understudied and underreported in developing countries such as Malaysia. Before considering the cost-effectiveness of introducing interventions such as vaccines to control influenza, it is imperative to determine clinical and socioeconomic impact of the disease. This review summari...

OBJECTIVE Before cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) can fulfill its promise as a tool to guide health care allocation decisions, the method of incorporating societal values into CEA may need to be improved. DESIGN The study design was a declarative exposition of potential fallacies in the theoretical underpinnings of CEA. Two values held by many people-preferences for giving priority to severe...

In the United States (U.S.), atrial fibrillation (AF) is the second-most common cardiovascular condition after hypertension, affecting four million Americans each year. Individuals with AF are three times more likely to be hospitalized over the span of a year when compared to medically matched control groups. The considerably large clinical population of individuals with AF mandates that the co...

BACKGROUND Tiotropium (TIO) is a well-established bronchodilator, LAMA (long-acting anticholinergic), for the treatment of moderate to very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Clinical evidence suggests that tiotropium is superior to usual non-LAMA care (UC) but may also have benefits compared to other LAMAs in preventing and limiting the effects of severe exacerbations. The pr...

BACKGROUND The National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel II) recommends treatment guidelines based on cholesterol level and number of risk factors. OBJECTIVE To evaluate how the cost-effectiveness ratios of cholesterol-lowering therapies vary according to different risk factors. DESI...