Publications by authors named "Beatriz Hemo"
Objectives: This study aims to evaluate and compare health outcomes and costs between home hospitalisation and traditional hospitalisation for three common diagnoses-cellulitis, urinary tract infection (UTI) and pneumonia.
Design: A retrospective cohort study.
Setting: Primary care, nationwide.
Background: Intramuscular AZD7442 (tixagevimab-cilgavimab [Evusheld; AstraZeneca]) has been found effective among immunocompromised individuals (ICIs) in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease in ICIs. We evaluated the association between AZD7442 administration and SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease (COVID-19 hospitalization and all-cause mortality) among selected ICIs, during a fifth Omicron-dominated wave of COVID-19 (December 2021-April 2022) in Israel.
Methods: ICIs aged ≥12 years identified in the Maccabi HealthCare Services database were invited by SMS/e-mail to receive AZD7442.
Development of an effective vaccine against Covid-19 is crucial to reducing infection. mRNA BNT162b2, developed and manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, was one of the first FDA-approved vaccinations reporting high efficacy (95%) and minimal side effects. Evaluating effectiveness of BNT162b2 in a general population has been made possible after the implementation of a nation-wide vaccination program in Israel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Real-world data were used to describe first antiparkinsonian drug (FAPD) prescription patterns among Parkinson disease (PD) patients and to evaluate disease duration until levodopa (l-DOPA) treatment and until death, as related to FAPD, by age group.
Methods: The community-based cohort (2000-2012) included 6243 patients, members of an Israeli Health Maintenance Organizations. Time from FAPD purchase to 2 end points (l-DOPA purchase and death) was calculated.
Aims: To identify trajectories of long-term HbA1c levels and examine associations with subsequent risk for morbidity and mortality.
Methods: We conducted a longitudinal follow-up among 27,724 patients, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, in a large healthcare organization. We identified trajectories of long-term HbA1c levels during the first 5 years post diabetes onset to examine associations with subsequent risk for morbidity and all-cause mortality.
Background: To estimate the survival of a population-based cohort of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients stratified by age and sex over a 13-year period.
Methods: The dynamic PD cohort included 6,622 incident PD patients who initiated anti-parkinsonian medications at age >40 years. The reference population (n = 401,498) consisted of members of a large health maintenance organization.
Objective: To evaluate the association between anemia and Parkinson's disease risk (PD) in men and women.
Methods: A population-based cohort of 474,129 individuals (aged 40-79 years at date of first Hb test, 47.4% men) with repeated Hb levels was derived from a large Healthcare Maintenance Organization that serves 2 million citizens in Israel (study-period 1.
Objectives: Disease registry for diabetes care encourages transparency and benchmarking of quality of care (QoC) measurements for all service providers and seems to improve diabetes care. This study evaluate changes over time in QoC measurement performance in a large diabetes registry among newly diagnosed diabetics and it association with mortality.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study of patients in a large health maintenance organization diabetes registry from years 2000 to 2013.
Background: Higher levels of serum cholesterol are well-established risk factors for coronary artery disease and stroke. The role of serum cholesterol in neurodegeneration is not clear.
Objective: We evaluated the association between serum cholesterol levels over time and the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) among statin-free individuals.
Background: While experimental data provided some compelling evidence on the benefits of statins on dopaminergic neurons, observational studies reported conflicting results regarding the potential of statins to effect the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD).
Objectives: To evaluate the association between changes in statin adherence over time and PD risk.
Methods: A population-based cohort of new statin users (ages 40-79, years 1999-2012) was derived from a large Israeli healthcare services organization.
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has been steadily rising. In most parts of the world, rates as high as 1 % are reported, including in the United States. In Israel, previously reported prevalence rates have been in the 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Post-marketing data on weight-loss medications in free living population are a necessary adjunct to data from clinical trials.
Materials And Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis of first-time medication users based on HMO pharmacy purchasing data serving > one million adults.
Results: During 5 years, usage of orlistat and sibutramine more than doubled and rates were higher during the months May-Aug.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nationwide media campaign to reduce antibiotic overuse among children.
Study Design: Prospective observational study of the pediatric population of a health maintenance organization (HMO) comparing antibiotic use during the baseline (November 2004-February 2005) and study (November 2005-February 2006) periods.
Methods: During January 2006 the HMO conducted a media campaign to increase public awareness of the risks of misusing antibiotics, particularly for influenza-like diseases.
Purpose: To evaluate the variance in rates of physician adherence to guidelines for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in women recommending either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) or nitrofurantoin, in all relevant physician subspecialities practising in a managed care community setting in Israel.
Methods: Data were derived from the computerised medical records of Maccabi Healthcare Services, a health maintenance organisation (HMO) in Israel providing care to more than 1.6 million members nation-wide.