scholarly journals Cost-effectiveness of implementing objective diagnostic verification of asthma in the United States

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Yaghoubi ◽  
Amin Adibi ◽  
Zafar Zafari ◽  
J Mark FitzGerald ◽  
Shawn D. Aaron ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundAsthma diagnosis in the community is often made without objective testing.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of implementing a stepwise objective diagnostic verification algorithm among patients with community-diagnosed asthma in the United States (US).MethodsWe developed a probabilistic time-in-state cohort model that compared a stepwise asthma verification algorithm based on spirometry and methacholine challenge test against the current standard of care over 20 years. Model input parameters were informed from the literature and with original data analyses when required. The target population was US adults (≥15 y/o) with physician-diagnosed asthma. The final outcomes were costs (in 2018 $) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), discounted at 3% annually. Deterministic and probabilistic analyses were undertaken to examine the effect of alternative assumptions and uncertainty in model parameters on the results.ResultsIn a simulated cohort of 10,000 adults with diagnosed asthma, the stepwise algorithm resulted in the removal of diagnosis in 3,366. This was projected to be associated with savings of $36.26 million in direct costs and a gain of 4,049.28 QALYs over 20 years. Extrapolating these results to the US population indicated an undiscounted potential savings of $56.48 billion over 20 years. Results were robust against alternative assumptions and plausible changes in values of input parameters.ConclusionImplementation of a simple diagnostic testing algorithm to verify asthma diagnosis might result in substantial savings and improvement in patients’ quality of life.Key MessagesCompared with current standards of practice, the implementation of an asthma verification algorithm among US adults with diagnosed asthma can be associated with reduction in costs and gain in quality of life.There is substantial room for improving patient care and outcomes through promoting objective asthma diagnosis.Capsule summaryAsthma ‘overdiagnosis’ is common among US adults. An objective, stepwise verification algorithm for re-evaluation of asthma diagnosis can result in substantial savings in costs and improvements in quality of life.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-276
Author(s):  
Naira Khachatryan ◽  
Maxwell Pistilli ◽  
Maureen G. Maguire ◽  
Angela Y. Chang ◽  
Marissa R. Samuels ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 002073142199484
Author(s):  
Vicente Navarro

This article analyses the political changes that have been occurring in the United States (including the elections for the presidency of the country) and their consequences for the health and quality of life of the population. A major thesis of this article is that there is a need to analyse, besides race and gender, other categories of power - such as social class - in order to understand what happens in the country. While the class structure of the United States is similar to that of major Western European countries, the political context is very different. The U.S. political context has resulted in the very limited power of its working class, which explains the scarcity of labor, political and social rights in the country, such as universal access to health care.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Jin You ◽  
Qian Lu ◽  
Michael J. Zvolensky ◽  
Zhiqiang Meng ◽  
Kay Garcia ◽  
...  

Purpose Literature has documented the prevalence of anxiety and its adverse effect on quality of life among patients with breast cancer from Western countries, yet cross-cultural examinations with non-Western patients are rare. This cross-cultural study investigated differences in anxiety and its association with quality of life between US and Chinese patients with breast cancer. Methods Patients with breast cancer from the United States and China completed measures for anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast). Results After controlling for demographic and medical characteristics, Chinese patients reported higher levels of trait and state anxiety than US patients. Although there was an association between anxiety and quality of life in both groups of patients, the association between state anxiety and quality of life was stronger among Chinese patients than among US patients, with the association between trait anxiety and quality of life the same between the two cultural samples. Conclusion These findings suggest that anxiety and its association with quality of life among patients with breast cancer varies depending on cultural context, which reveals greater anxiety and poorer quality of life among Chinese patients compared with US patients. This suggests greater unmet psychosocial needs among Chinese patients and highlights the need to build comprehensive cancer care systems for a better quality of life in Chinese populations.


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