Readmission among hospitalized patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: Hospital readmission rates for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), as well as reasons and risk factors for rehospitalization, were investigated.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and prescription claims data on patients hospitalized for atrial fibrillation (AF) over a five-year period were extracted from insurance claims databases; from that data set, a subset of adults with NVAF on whom continuous data were available before and after the index admission (n = 6439) was identified, and their 30-day readmission rate was examined.

Results: The overall 30-day readmission rate was 18.

Risk of injury associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is linked to an increased risk of injury in children. This retrospective analysis evaluated the risk and type of injury associated with ADHD in adults.

Method: Data were taken from the MarketScan databases, which provide details of health care claims and productivity data for individuals and their dependents with access to employer-sponsored health plans.

Cost of illness and comorbidities in adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: This retrospective study assessed the cost of illness and medical and psychiatric comorbidities in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with adults without ADHD (matched 1:3) and adults with depression (1:1). Individuals with depression were included as a benchmark against which the burden of ADHD could be measured.

Method: Measures of health care and employment-related costs were compared to generate estimates of medical expenditures, workplace absences, and comorbidities in adults with ADHD (using ICD-9-CM codes) who were enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans throughout 2006.

The economic burden of fibromyalgia: comparative analysis with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To quantify and compare direct costs, utilization, and the rate of comorbidities in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia (FM), a poorly understood illness associated with chronic widespread pain that is commonly treated by rheumatologists, to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a well studied rheumatologic illness associated with inflammatory joint pain. Patients with both illnesses were isolated and reported as a third group. A secondary analysis of work loss was performed for an employed subset of these patients.

Economic costs of obesity to self-insured employers.

Objective: To quantify the direct and indirect costs of obesity within a cohort of commercially insured employees in the United States.

Method: Health plan claims, self-reported health risk assessment, and productivity data (Thomson MarketScan) from 2003 to 2005 were used to identify employees. Two-part regression models were used to compare body mass index (BMI) groups to estimate the incremental direct and indirect costs, conditional on expenditure, associated with elevated BMI.

A framework to evaluate the economic impact of pharmacogenomics.

Introduction: Pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine promise to improve healthcare by increasing drug efficacy and minimizing side effects. There may also be substantial savings realized by eliminating costs associated with failed treatment. This paper describes a framework using health claims data for analyzing the potential value of pharmacogenomic testing in clinical practice.

Matching documented training needs with practical capacity: lessons learned from Project Public Health Ready.

The Upper Midwest offers a distinct environment for identifying and addressing threat and preparedness scenarios. The population is often scattered, with residents using urban centers periodically. This has also led to the challenge of providing specific skills and cross-disciplinary awareness and coordination to the public health community.