Publications by authors named "Diane McNally"
Background: Transition from hospitalization to postdischarge care is a vulnerable period for patients. How the experience of this transition differs for patients with resident primary care physicians is unknown.
Methods: In a single, large academic primary care practice, we examined an inception cohort of consecutive hospitalizations and postdischarge visits of hospitalized patients with resident or faculty primary care physicians between 2008 and 2013.
Objective: Skeletal-related events (SREs) are defined as a cluster of events including clinical diagnoses and treatment. Using claims data, the burden of SREs as a group has been reported among patients with cancer. We investigate the mortality impact of subcomponents of SREs, a topic that has received limited attention among older men.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Limited primary care access and care discontinuities hamper care for patients following hospital discharge. As the proportion of inpatient care delivered by hospitalists continues to increase, hybrid models that incorporate hospitalists in post-discharge care may ameliorate this problem.
Methods: We established a post-discharge clinic staffed by hospitalists in a large academic urban primary care practice in October 2009.
Background: Lenalidomide is approved for the treatment of anemia with transfusion dependence (TD) in patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with 5q deletion (del5q-MDS), but its "real-life" use and effect on transfusion needs are unclear. In the current study, the authors examined its use in the Medicare population.
Methods: Patients with MDS who were enrolled in Medicare Parts A, B, and D were identified using International Classification of Diseases 9-Clinical Modification (ICD-9) codes from 100% Medicare claims from 2006 through 2008.
Background: Population-based estimates of the prevalence of thyrotoxicosis (TTX), the frequency of antithyroid drug (ATD) use, and risk of adverse events in pregnant women and their infants are lacking. Therefore, our objective was to obtain epidemiologic estimates of these parameters within a large population-based sample of pregnant women with TTX.
Methods: A retrospective claims analysis was performed from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters health insurance database for the period 2005-2009.
Background: The improvement in survival rates for patients with colon cancer has shifted the focus from examining cancer-specific mortality to exploring all-cause mortality. Adverse events such as venous thromboembolism (VTE) affect overall survival times and the net clinical benefit of cancer management strategies.
Methods: This retrospective study used Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Medicare data to examine VTE incidence and mortality rates for elderly patients with stage III colon cancer who were diagnosed in 2004 or 2005 and followed through 2007.
Patient and physician characteristics associated with use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in myelodysplastic syndrome patients have not yet been described. Myelodysplastic syndrome patients diagnosed from 2001 to 2005 were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database. Multivariate regressions examined the association between patient and physician characteristics and the probability of receiving any erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, and of receiving therapeutic-length (≥ 8 week) treatment episodes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There are limited reports of thrombosis among myelodysplastic syndrome patients exposed to erythropoiesis stimulating agents. It is not clear whether erythropoiesis stimulating agents are associated with an increased risk of thrombosis in myelodysplastic syndromes, as they are among patients with solid tumors.
Design And Methods: The association between use of erythropoiesis stimulating agent and transient thrombosis risk in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes was assessed in a case-crossover study nested within a cohort of incident myelodysplastic syndrome patients.
Objective: To employ results from a recent US population-based survey to calculate disease-specific total costs of overactive bladder (OAB).
Study Design: Disease-specific total cost-of-illness method using population prevalence estimates.
Methods: Cases were identified as community-dwelling adults reporting the presence of urinary urgency or urgency urinary incontinence.
Asthma-related medication use among children in the United States.
Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol
March 2008
Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children and has a major impact on health care use and quality of life. The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act mandates the federal government to sponsor pediatric studies of drugs approved for use in the United States but lacking evaluation in the pediatric population and lacking interest of commercial sponsors. As input into the drug selection and prioritization process, information is needed on the percentage of children who receive asthma-related medications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The objectives of this drug utilization review program were (1) to increase beta-blocker prescribing to fee-for-service post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) Medicaid patients; (2) to improve compliance among patients who were prescribed beta-blockers post-AMI; and (3) to evaluate the economic implications of increased beta-blocker prescribing.
Study Design: Pre-post nonequivalent group design.
Patients And Methods: The intervention targeted physicians of Pennsylvania Medicaid recipients who had an AMI between November 1, 1998, and November 1, 1999.
Background: The 1990 Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act mandated drug utilization review in response to inappropriate drug use. In the Pennsylvania Medicaid program, pediatric asthma is associated with high healthcare utilization and cost.
Objective: To determine the effects of a physician-focused educational intervention on asthma drug use and healthcare utilization.